


What the Heart Wants.

by Rinpoo



Category: Star vs. The Forces Of Evil
Genre: Drama, F/M, Mystery, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-19
Updated: 2020-12-25
Packaged: 2021-03-08 17:54:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 38,939
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27100789
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rinpoo/pseuds/Rinpoo
Summary: Marco's deep depression over Star's relationship with Tom forces him to leave Mewni castle in search of solace, but when he happens upon a sacred place that seems to offer untold happiness, he gets struck with tragedy. What is this place that knows what the heart truly wants, and what is the price it charges for it?
Relationships: Marco Diaz/Kelly (Star vs. The Forces of Evil), Star Butterfly/Marco Diaz, Star Butterfly/Tom Lucitor
Comments: 2
Kudos: 12





	1. The Twilight Walk.

**Author's Note:**

> Author's Note. I have decided to begin to upload this here, because the story is nearing completion and it is doing quite well in the places I have uploaded it.
> 
> WARNING: While this story is suitable for general audiences it is an adult work that contains adult subtext and themes. If you do not like works of this nature do not bother reading.
> 
> I do not over tag. If you want to find out what happens in my story, read it. 
> 
> Please. Remember to kudos if you like my story, as it tells other readers of its quality and helps more people see my work. Thank you kindly.
> 
> Cover image commissioned and drawn by NamelessHiredArtist. https://www.deviantart.com/namelesshiredartist
> 
> Please go and view their art and commission them. They have incredible talent, and I was lucky to have them draw anything for me.

"It is strange how I came here for her. At first, I didn't realize it, but then it dawned on me that I needed her. I feel my broken heart sinking inside of me, and I just wish it could be back to the way it used to be before I came to Mewni." Marco thought as he lay on his bed in the castle. His eyes were staring up at the ceiling in the cold darkness.

Ever since that day on the beach when he had his revelation he couldn't keep his mind off of it. Star's delicate lips pressed against Tom's in their place on the sand. He could feel rage and sadness every time the image played itself out inside of his mind.

"Why did I have to be so stupid?" Marco said out loud to himself and drew the strings on his hoodie so that it shrank down around his head and part of his face.

He now felt that coming here was a mistake and that he had destroyed his chances of happiness with Jackie entirely by doing so. All those years of being in love with her and wishing to be with her were now gone.

"Rrr" Marco made an angry sound and then grabbed his pillow and shoved it over his face. Was he going to cry? He sure felt like it was coming.

"No... I just, you need to stay cool Marco." He told himself and took in a deep gasp of air. He couldn't take this any longer; he needed to clear these negative, painful thoughts from his mind.

He rose from the bed thrusting his hood off and made his way through the dark room towards his bedroom door. The light of Mewni's moons shining through the windows lighting his way to his destination. It might have been a bit late, but he couldn't concern himself with such things.

He reached out his hand and placed it on the handle of the door and with one swift pull it came open. Marco immediately jumped the moment he saw the other side of the door. There, through the darkness, was somebody standing right before him.

"Ahh!" Marco shouted pathetically but was immediately met with a "Shhhhhh!"

He squinted his eyes, and with the help of the pale moonlight, he could see that it was Kelly standing before him. His mind briefly wandered back to the soulrise, and how she had wished him a happy birthday, something that even Star herself failed to do.

"Do you want to wake up everyone?" Kelly asked in a whisper.

Marco searched his thoughts and couldn't come up with a single reason Kelly would have to visit him at half past midnight.

"Kelly? I... What are you doing here? I thought you'd be busy at Star's slumber party?" He thought for sure that she would be preoccupied with that even at this hour.

"I, everyone fell asleep, but I just couldn't. I honestly was expecting you to come hang out with us, but you never showed up." Kelly sounded somewhat disappointed, and Marco could feel a slight bit of guilt. He usually frequented Star's slumber parties; tonight just wasn't the night for him.

"I..." Marco paused trying to figure out a lie he could say. "Just had some things I needed to do. Write my parents and all that. You understand?" He said. The night was cold, and Marco just stared at Kelly's silhouette marred in shadow.

"I understand, I just stopped by to hopefully get some company until I was tired enough to sleep." In truth, Kelly just wanted to see Marco, but she was never going to admit that. Like Marco, she too kept thinking of that day on the beach, but her perceptions of that day were remarkably more positive than Marco's.

Marco stood there in silence for a minute. He really did just want to be alone but could sense that she needed more support over the whole Tad thing.

"I was thinking about taking a walk out of the castle. Would you care to join?" Marco extended an offer to her, and though he knew it probably wasn't the best idea to wander around Mewni at this hour, he really needed to escape this castle.

"Outside? Now?" Kelly now sounded surprised and turned her attention down the dark hallway. She knew that if she wanted to hang out with Marco, this was probably the only way she was going to accomplish that.

"Ok let's go then." She said to him without the slightest hint of hesitation.

Marco walked out of his room and shut the door behind himself making the hallway ever darker. The two looked at each other in the shadows, and then Kelly moved over to grab Marco's hand. "This way." She said pulling him along.

Marco could feel the warmth of her hand against his, and he usually would be quite embarrassed to be touching a girl in such a manner, but before he even had the chance, he was being dragged along the dark corridor. Once they reached the door around the corner, Marco could see the faint glow of light from underneath the crack at the bottom of the door.

A few more steps and the door swung open revealing the stairs downward. Marco turned his attention to Kelly, and he could now see her glasses shining from the lights on the stairs. She was dressed entirely as if she knew he was going outside and was looking quite a bit nervous.

"Is something the matter?' Marco asked her.

"N-no nothing at all." She pulled her hand out of Marco's grasp and started to make the long descent down flights of steps. Marco looked at his hand for a second and then began to follow her to their destination.

After several minutes of walking the two emerged from the stairs into a lit hallway, adorned with fancy paintings and decorations. They were on the ground floor, and it was just a little further until they could make it out to the courtyard.

Marco followed behind Kelly and watched her aquamarine hair as it bounced with each step. He wondered if Tad was still within her hair but knew better than even to bring up his name at a time like this.

"Here we are," Kelly said and opened the door leading to the courtyard. Marco stepped out into the night and was mesmerized by the brightness Mewni's moons. It wasn't like he hadn't seen it before, but perhaps in his current state of mind, he was more sensitive to things.

He walked forward and could hear Kelly shut the door behind him, after a second, he could hear Kelly's boots sprinting on the dirt. He looked over just as she reached the position next to him, and he could see her staring back at him.

"Just where are you going?" Kelly asked, as she had assumed when he said he wanted to go out, that he desired to be in the courtyard.

"I just need to be away from the castle is all," Marco said in a defeated tone, and it was evident he was sad.

"You mean you want to go into the town?" She was looking at him concerned, but Marco now had his gaze fixated on the dirt that he was walking on.

"Yeah, I guess so." He put his hands in his hoodie pockets.

The two walked in silence and were almost approaching the gate of the castle when Kelly spoke once again.

"Why?" Her voice rang out into the chilly night.

The question caused Marco to stop in his tracks, and he became overwhelmed with emotions. He wanted to admit why he needed to be away, but it was excruciating for him to do so.

"I just. I need a break from everything." He tried to start talking, but it came out low and unenergetic.

Kelly nodded and had an understanding he was upset, but the real reasons for it eluded her for the time being. They continued forward together until they reached the gate guarded by two Mewnian guards standing watch over the entrance.

One of the guards stared at them and looked as if he might say something about their late-night walk, but since Marco was now the knight apprentice of Star Butterfly and Kelly was not the princess herself; there seemed little need to speak up.

The two exited the castle gate and made their way into the silent and sleepy village that sat around the castle. Much of it was completely dark, save for the intense beams of moonlight that illuminated the community from overhead. Marco may have been feeling down, but he too could see the beauty and splendor the moon created for the world of Mewni.

"It really is somthin' huh?" Kelly asked, feeling mesmerized by the scenery.

Marco turned his attention to her and could see the light shining off her glasses once again, and the brightness revealed the prettiness of her face. To Marco, this was the genuinely mesmerizing thing for him, and he just stared without a word.

After a moment passed, Kelly took notice of his stare and turned her attention to him with a small smile. "So, do I have something on my face?" She asked jokingly.

Marco shook his head as he came back down to reality and started to stammer a response. "N-no I mean, I was j-just lost in thought!" He let out a nervous laugh, and then a sigh realizing it was apparent to her he was looking at her.

"Look, I am sorry I didn't mean to stare." He admitted apologetically. "I just, I have a lot on my mind." He said while walking through the village streets.

Kelly looked down slightly embarrassed and then began to speak up. "Well, why don't you tell me? You helped me with Tad and uhm... kept me warm during the soulrise." She could feel her face heat up despite the coolness of the night, and she almost regretted adding that part in.

"I..." Marco hesitated while their feet carried them. He was really considering telling her about Star and his feelings, but at the same time, he didn't want anybody to know. He had just recently figured it out for himself, and it was hard enough as it is.

Kelly smiled at him as she patted him on the back. "I know that look, and I can tell that it has to do with Star." In truth, almost anybody but Star and Tom could see it. They were too busy wrapped up in each other to notice really.

Marco looked horrified for a second and was immediately about to start denying it, but the look on her face was as disarming as it was cute. "I just, I didn't realize I cared until it was too late." He said in a sad tone.

Kelly was somewhat surprised to hear him admit that. She knew how hard things could be if you loved somebody, and she also knew that it usually took the company of somebody else to help you feel better about it.

"Look, there is no point in trying to convince Star to like you because that will end up hurting you both." Kelly tried to give him advice.

Marco knew her words were right, but he also felt like he should fight for the things he cared about. He was confused and depressed as ever and wondered if things would ever return to normalcy.

The two walked across the bridge that led out of the small village, and Kelly stopped once they had reached the other side.

"Marco, I think we should head back now. We have been out for who knows how long." Kelly was hesitant to leave the safety of the Mewni kingdom, but in reality, Marco was not ready to turn back now.

"You can return if you need to. I really just need more time." Marco was in a depressed stupor, and nothing seemed to be pulling him out of it.

Kelly frowned and then let out a sigh, as she grabbed his arm around his wrist and started leading him away from Mewni.

"If you need to walk, let's walk." Kelly really wanted to make him feel better, and Marco was surprised by her sudden change in demeanor.

He allowed her to lead him, and they walked for a while in silence until Marco opened his mouth to say something.

"Thanks, Kelly..." His voice was a mix of shame and appreciation.

She turned to look at him and blinked in surprise. "For what?"

"I don't know. I just haven't been myself lately, and you have been putting up with me. I just... I don't know." He really didn't know how to quantify it. His mind kept wandering back to the day of the soulrise, but instead of the fateful kiss from before he now kept recalling the warmth of Kelly's body as she shared his hoodie with him.

She smiled a bit and looked at the ground to hide her slight embarrassment. "Well, what are friends for?" She finally said.

The two roamed, lost in their thoughts of one another. They were not paying attention to where they were heading and instead fixated on the next thing to say.

"How are things, with you and Tad?" Marco brought up the touchy subject, but since they were sharing an intimate moment with one another; it now felt appropriate to ask.

Kelly looked up at the sky which was now blocked by endless trees, and she felt sadness take over her. "I, we, he finally left. I don't know if he will ever try to come back, but for now, I am free. I got so tired of loving him and then becoming angry at him the next minute. I mean, I love Tad, but I just realized that a relationship like that isn't worth the grief."

Marco slid his wrist out of her hand, and at first, she thought it might be because of bringing up Tad. She felt somewhat foolish for doing so, knowing that Marco was the one who was depressed now. Marco peeled off his hoodie and draped it over her body once again, like that day on the beach.

"I could feel you shivering..." Marco admitted as the nightly autumn wind could become quite chilly.

Kelly blushed slightly and wrapped it around herself. "But won't you be cold?"

"Nah, I am used to colder weather than this, besides. I owe you for dragging you out into these woods." He let out a small laugh.

Kelly got caught up in the moment and let out a small snicker. "Well, at least you seem to be feeling better." She said sliding her arms into the hoodie sleeves.

Marco nodded and took in a deep breath of chilly air. "I think things are going to be ok. I mean if Star loves Tom I guess I should just be happy for her." Deep inside though, he still wanted Star to himself, but if he couldn't have her, why waste his time?

Kelly smiled, and then took to looking about the scenery. She could see thick, dense trees surrounding her and a well-beaten path leading in two directions beneath her feet. Slowly she realized where exactly they were, and her expression changed from happiness to one of concern.

"What is wrong Kelly?" Marco asked upon seeing her expression change.

"The Forest of Certain Death..." She said in a low tone.

"The what now?" Marco didn't understand what she was talking about at first, but then, as he looked about at the trees, he finally understood.

"We need to turn back right now!" Kelly said slightly worried. It wasn't so much that she couldn't handle herself. It was that it was the grave twilight hours, and she had no idea exactly which part of the forest they were in.

"Turn back where?" Marco looked left, and then right. It all seemed like the same dense forest.

"We just need to follow the trail." She pointed at the ground they stood on. "We kind of aimlessly wandered into the forest by following the trail."

Marco tried to think how they could wander into such a dangerous place without noticing, but when he thought about it, he was either staring at Kelly or the ground.

"A-alright we just got to follow the trail then." Marco acted brave, though he felt fear within himself.

The two now aware of their surroundings walked back along the trail. It was desolate, crowded with trees, and hard to see. The thick treetops blocked most of the beautiful light that Mewni's moons had to offer, and the longer they walked the closer they huddled together.

"Well, this has certainly been some walk," Marco said abruptly trying to lighten the mood.

Kelly looked at him for a second, and then back to the trail, and her mind went blank. In the path was a crossroads leading down several pathways into the woods. It wasn't just a simple backtrack any longer.

"Oh no." She said frustrated.

Marco blinked and rubbed his head with annoyance. "Great, just great Marco, you go for a walk with a girl and get her lost in a deadly forest." He berated himself aloud.

Kelly shook her head. "Now's not the time for this, we need to figure out which way to go." She said.

Marco thought and pointed down the path that was straight across from the one they were on. "Didn't we walk a straight line, so wouldn't that have to be the one?"

"Did we walk in a straight line?" Kelly asked him. "I honestly wasn't even paying attention."

"I..." Marco stopped talking. He had no idea if they walked in a straight line or not.

Kelly was frustrated, but not with Marco; she felt like she should have been paying better attention. "So, what do we do then?" She asked.

Marco looked up at the tops of the trees and could see nothing but the leaves in their transition from green to their beautiful autumn hue. He looked back at the trail, and then made his suggestion.

"How about we pick a path and follow it to see if anything seems familiar, if not we can just head back to the crossroads and try again." His voice sounded slightly unsure, but the suggestion sounded right to Kelly's ears.

"Alright let's try that." She took the lead, and they went down the leftmost path.

They walked for about ten minutes, and the further they got, the less familiar it seemed to get. The woods were hazardous and contained many a beast and man-eating plant. Both of them were unwilling to separate, and neither of them wanted to try going off the trail.

"I think this way is a bust; maybe we should turn back now," Kelly suggested.

Marco nodded in agreement and wrapped his arms around himself to keep warm. He was fine earlier, but the longer he stayed outside of his hoodie, the worse it felt.

"Do you need it back?" Kelly noticed his chilliness, but he shook his head at her.

"I will be fine, we just need to focus on getting out of here, and then we can sit by the royal fireplace or something." He said.

Kelly was appreciative of his high spirits, and she came over, wrapping an arm around him and pulling him closer to her body.

"Ah!" Marco said in surprise but welcomed the warmth of her body against him.

"Is that better?" She asked.

"Y-yeah." Marco stammered, feeling embarrassed by their closeness. Even at a time like this, he was still a boy first.

They had turned around to go back the way they came, but as time went on. They were starting to wonder if they had missed the crossroads somehow. The road seemed endless and unfamiliar to the two of them. The woods began to become choked with a thick mist that hung low to the ground.

The uneasiness was building, and all they could do was keep close to one another as they wandered at the mercy of the forest. None of this was making sense, and Marco felt as if he were going crazy.

"Something's not right about this Kelly," Marco admitted out loud what Kelly was thinking inside of her head.

"I know but..." Kelly began, and then stopped herself.

"But?" Marco asked her and then turned his attention towards what she was looking at.

Through the thick mist and trees sat a sacred forest glade, and in the center of it sat a giant stone circle. The trees above it were parted in just such a way that vibrant, beautiful moonlight pierced through, and covered the glade with seemingly ephemeral beauty. Flowers blanketed the grass, and there were beautiful decorative stone ponds that sat on the four corners of the circle.

This place was beautiful and brought a great sense of relief to Kelly and Marco. It was like nothing else in the rest of the forest, and it led them to believe that if it existed here, that it must be close to Mewni kingdom.

"Whoa!" They explained in unison and broke off from one another for the first time in a while. They walked forward slowly and surveyed the beautiful scenery.

Kelly looked down at the beautiful flowers, and they were an assortment of beautiful colors and patterns. They looked rare and gorgeous, and she felt tempted to pick one.

Marco looked at the four corner ponds surrounding the stone circle jutting up from the ground in the center. In the lakes were water-loving plants and a few fish that seemed content with their decorative ponds. Deep in the clear water, something incredibly shiny caught Marco's eye. It glimmered bright and beautiful in the moonlight, and it almost forced Marco to reach in and grab it.

The fish swam away, and Marco closed his hand grasping a bunch of small things inside of it. When he pulled them out, he noticed that there were tons more of the shiny stuff, not just at the bottom of this pond, but all of them.

Marco opened his hand, and to his surprise, he was holding a plethora of beautiful, and exotic gems. They were the kind of treasures one could only dream of finding.

"Holy cow!" Marco shouted in shock, causing Kelly to come over and look herself.

"Wow!" Was all she could say. There were enough gems here to buy even the kingdom of Mewni itself.

"What is this place?" Marco pocketed the three beautiful gems and started contemplating how he was going to start carrying all of this stuff out of here, completely forgetting he didn't know the way out of here.

"I don't know, but this place... It seems like nobody has been here for such a long." Kelly said. It looked ever beautiful, but nobody in their right mind would leave all of this untouched if they happened upon it.

Marco turned his attention to the center of the glade where the stone circle sat. At this distance, he could tell that it was an old well. It was made of cobblestones and covered in moss. It was placed as if it were the most critical thing to exist here, and yet it looked the least beautiful. It was inelegant and straightforward unlike the rest of the area.

"What is that?" Kelly wondered, it was not like Kelly hadn't seen a well before, but this particular well seemed to serve no purpose and lacked a bucket or rope to be of any use.

Marco stepped forward and stood next to the well. He peered down into it and could see nothing but the blackness of the abyss. He turned to Kelly who took her place Next to him and stared down.

"Helloooooo!" Kelly yelled into the well, and it echoed downwards as it went.

Marco turned and started looking at the ponds, and then back to the well. It all seemed so familiar to him, but why?

Kelly sat on the side of the well and turned back to Marco. He sat next to her on the well's side so that he could rest his feet and think for a minute.

"I really don't know what to make of any of this," Kelly said, she was excited to find such riches, but something felt off to her about it.

"Marco leaned forward and took out the three gems he had grabbed from the pond, as he sat there and thought. It was starting to dawn on him what this place's purpose might be.

One... He threw a gem into a pond.

Two.... And another.

Three... Once more.

They all landed with a plop into the surrounding ponds, and Marco stood back up with enthusiasm.

"What are you doing Marco?" Kelly asked from her sitting position on the well.

"I know! It's a wishing well!" Marco explained as he turned to look down into the well.

"We have these on earth!" He reached into his jeans pocket and pulled out some earth quarters he had never bothered to get rid of.

"Wishing well?" Kelly asked.

"Yeah, you just take some money, make a wish to yourself and toss it into the bottom of the well. It is supposed to make your wish come true." He explained the tradition on earth and was frankly surprised that Mewni had something similar. He wasn't sure if the gems were Mewni wishes or not, but it was rather exciting to him.

Kelly lightly smiled at him, that did sound quite nice. She had only seen wells used for water, never one for wishing. Marco reached his hand out and gave Kelly an earth quarter. "C'mon let's make a wish!" He said

Kelly sat there in thought and knew her most immediate desire was to find a way out of here. There was also a profoundly selfish side to her that believed if a wish were to come true, that it would be better spent on something she really wanted. She wondered what that something might be and turned her focus to Marco.

Marco held the coin in his fingers and thought as hard as he could. So many things came to mind, but one just kept coming up over and over again; "Star." He hesitated slightly, as he stared down into the well. If he could have anything he wanted was that indeed his desire?

"Yes." He thought.

"I wish that Star Butterfly loved me as I love her and that we could be together forever." With that, he flicked the coin up into the air, and it twirled all the way down into the black pit that was the well. Marco could not hear a splash or any such thing and wondered just how deep was this well?

Kelly watched him make his wish, and even though it seemed a bit foolish, it did take her mind off of being lost. It benefited her in that it lightened her mood, and for that, she was willing to play along. She looked down and saw the earth quarter in her hand, and her mind began buzzing with real wishes she could make.

She looked up briefly as Marco moved, turning his attention away from the well and now putting it onto the beautiful exotic flowers. It seemed that making a wish, even if it were never to come true, had raised his spirits.

"Hm?" She thought, and wondered if she could wish to go on a date with Marco? It was simple, but the thought of doing it brought her intense happiness. She gazed down at his hoodie she was wearing.

Crack...

Kelly heard a noise and was jolted from her thoughts, she started to look around the glade, but she didn't see anything except for the flowers and Marco. Maybe she was imagining things, she had just been and still was lost in the Forest of Certain Death.

She looked down at the hoodie once again.

Crack...

It came again, but Kelly ignored it this time, she wouldn't let her fear take hold of her imagination.

"No... I know what I want." Kelly thought.

"I wish for Marco to be happy and have whatever his heart really desires, even if it has nothing to do with me." She raised her hand.

CRACK!

"Ahh!" Kelly felt her seat give away before she could even throw the coin.

Marco heard the loud crack and slamming as well as the scream and turned his attention to Kelly.

"KELLY!" He yelled in shock.

She was falling back into the well. The side made of old stones had collapsed inward due to her weight, and it forced her to slide off suddenly. Marco leaped forward and reached out to grab her hand, but he missed.

"AHHH!" She screamed as she fell further into the well.

Marco rapidly pulled himself forward and reaching his other hand in he grabbed ahold of her pink boot.

Ah!" She panicked with her entire body dangling inside of the well, and nothing to grab hold of.

"Rrr Kelly!" Marco grit his teeth as he used his other hand in a feeble attempt to keep her from falling. She was in such an awkward position, and he wasn't his muscular older self any longer. "D-don't give up Kelly. I-I got you!" He reassured her. His heart was beating so fast, and he was so afraid of losing her right now, that he could think of little else.

"I. I don't know what to do!" She yelled swaying back and forth in the shadowy well.

Slip...

Ah!" Kelly started to bounce further down.

"NO!" Marco struggled to hold her with all the strength in his body, but it was clear to him that her boot was slipping off.

"Marco. I" Kelly began but then slipped further down.

"AH!"

"Kelly! I... I'M!" He pulled once more to try and grab securely onto her leg, but it was her undoing.

Slip......

"AHHHHHHHHHHHhhhhhhhh!" Kelly screamed as she fell downwards. Her body swallowed up by the darkness, and her screams were becoming ever softer the further she slipped away from him.

Marco stared in shock and heartache, as he pulled himself away from the well. In his right hand was her pink boot. "Kelly... Kelly! NO!" He shouted in disbelief. How could he have been so careless? How could he have let her fall like that?

He knew there was no way she could survive a head-first collision like that, even into water, and still, he heard no sound from the well. The screaming had ceased, and there was no splash or indication she had landed.

"He dropped her boot on the ground and leaned over the collapsed side of the well; once again peering into the sinister abyss before him.

"KELLY!" He yelled into the well.

There was no response.

"KELLY PLEASE!" He cried out again.

The crisp autumn air blew, and the flowers rustled, but there was no sign of Kelly.

Marco was in complete panic mode, he didn't want to think she was dead, but he knew there was no way for him to get to her or check. His heart was breaking, and he started to turn around.

"Star..." She was the only one that could help him now. He needed to get to her; he needed to have Star use her magic to get Kelly back. He knew he didn't know the way back to Mewni kingdom, but he knew he had to try, even if it meant going off the path and facing the worst monstrosities the forest had to offer. He needed to get Kelly back.

He turned away from the well and was about to start running when he was hit with the sudden overwhelming feeling of dizziness.

"O... Kelly... I" He struggled to move forward, but his body felt heavy, and his feet felt as if they were glued to the ground beneath him.

"Kelly... I" He said again grabbing his face. The forest around him started spinning, and he became disoriented and confused.

"I... I'm sorry..." He said with the last ounce of his strength, and with that, he had blacked out completely. He dropped to the ground with a thud and lie there in the glade, unconscious and surrounded by the most beautiful flowers he had ever seen.

The moon shined brightly through the trees onto his body, and it was as if Marco Diaz himself had become one with this sacred portion of the forest. The only remnant left of his lost companion was her pink boot that lay inches from his outstretched hand.


	2. Shaken.

The sinister woods were covered in fog and Marco could do little but glance around himself, lost in an endless sea of mystery. He knew not where he was but felt as though he had eyes upon him.

"Marco." A faint whisper in the distance called out to him.

"Kelly!" Marco said loudly, as it was the only person he could think about.

Silence returned to him and his blood froze in his veins. The fear was becoming overwhelming for him, and he half expected a monster of unparalleled strength to come and drag him off into the unknown.

"Marco." The voice came once more, and this time it was more forceful and angry.

"Kelly! Please! I am sorry! I tried to- tried to save you!" He shouted while his voice quivered slightly. The surrounding temperature started going through a drastic change as his hot breath now coming out as steam against the bitterly cold air.

"I wish for you to be happy..." He heard a painfully sad voice echoing through the woods.

With that, he could feel the ground shake, and the well started to rise up from the dirt directly in front of him. A thick black ichor began oozing out of it, down the sides, and all around the ground. It moved as if it had a mind of its own and quickly began making its way all about the misty forest enveloping everything it touched in darkness.

Marco was so afraid his body failed him and he couldn't move. He could see the encroaching shadows as they consumed everything before and around him. It started coming at him from all directions, coming to swallow him whole with malicious intent.

"Marco." The voice was now sad and in pain.

"Kelly I... I don't know what to DO!" He shouted as the blackness started to grasp at his feet.

"Marco!" The voice became really loud and repeated itself.

"Kelly... I..."

"Marco!"

"I'm sorry!"

"Marco!"

"MARCO!" A scream came so loudly that it shattered the very fabric of the universe. Marco opened his eyes and shot up in a complete panic, his eyes frantically looking around himself.

"Ahh!" He shouted clenching his chest and breathing heavily.

"About time you got up, sheesh! You've been in bed all day. It is already noon." He could hear Star's voice speaking to him and he turned his head towards the source of her voice.

"I, ah, Star?" He said dazed and confused, as if in a complete stupor.

"Well, who do ya' think it is Marco!" Star said just as energetic as ever, and it was taking Marco time to process his thoughts.

"Kelly." He thought to himself and then started to stammer out of bed quickly. "Star... something's happened! I need... I need your help!" He tripped a little and grabbed on to her shirt to prevent himself from falling down completely.

"Whoa, whoa Marco. Calm down, it looks like you've had some kind of bad dream." She said grabbing on to his underarms to help hold him up. She could see his panic since the moment he had awoken.

"I but..." Marco said, still clenched onto her shirt as he fought to find the correct words. He was trying his hardest to gain control of his panic, but it was proving difficult. Just about the only thing that gave him comfort right now was his dear friend. Star was so calm and comforting to him at this moment, and he was struggling to remember the things he had witnessed the night before. His eyes glanced around his room, and it was just the same as it always had been.

"I... your slumber party, is-is everyone ok?" Marco blurted out, trying not to mix fantasy with reality.

Star gave him an odd look but decided to humor him. "Marco, everything is fineee, you are worrying too much." She pulled him up a little, and Marco stood on his two legs shakily.

"But." Marco continued like the worry wart he was.

"Ugh Marco, everyone is fine, ok? They all stayed the morning and left an hour or two ago, they were all here, and all went home." There was a hint of frustration in her voice, but her confirmation of the normalcy of everything allowed Marco to relax slightly.

"I am sorry Star. I just had this terrible dream, and..." Marco began his explanation.

"Shhh Marco, it is ok, alright? We all get bad dreams sometimes." She cut him off and gave him a smile with a reassuring pat on the shoulder.

Star could make him feel comfortable with something as simple as a little touch, and he just rubbed his arm feeling just a bit foolish. His experience felt so real, and then the horrible darkness just before waking up. It sent chills down his spine in a way that few things did.

Star could see the discomfort and sadness of her friend, and she wondered if maybe he was stressed out over something. Perhaps she was working him too hard, or not giving him adequate attention?

"Saaayyyy Marco," She said abruptly in typical Star fashion. "why don't we spend some time together today, just you and me?"

"What?" Marco said, genuinely surprised at her sudden attempt to offer him relief.

"Well with all that has been going on in Mewni and with Tom, I just figure we could hang out together and 'chill' like we used to on earth." She sounded pleasant, and Marco was positively sure that she was trying to comfort him without making it seem like a pity party.

Marco stood there in silence thinking about Star and what she had said. She had already told him that everything was ok, and the more he delved into his thoughts about what had happened last night. The more he realized that he wouldn't be in Mewni castle dressed in his pajamas right now if things indeed had occurred the way he thought they did.

"I.... thanks Star," Marco said feeling some restless sense of relief. He was terrified beyond words before, but now he was more curious about why of all people he was dreaming about Kelly. It made him realize that maybe she was becoming an important person to him though he was heavily reticent in conversing about it with Star.

"Anytime Marco!" Star smiled at him and stepped away towards his door.

"Just get dressed," She stopped and thought for a second. "ooorrrr stay in your pajamas if you like, and we can have something delicious to eat." She let out a small, cheerful laugh and opened the door to his bedroom.

Marco weakly nodded at her suggestion, and without another word, Star was off to have something whipped up for the two of them to eat. Marco let out an exasperated sigh and looked at his empty bed. He still felt as if his dream meant something, but what it could mean eluded him entirely.

"Marco, you are losing your mind." He told himself as he turned towards the giant window to gaze out of it. The village of Mewni kingdom was just as it had been any other day, and the sky was grey and thick with clouds. It appeared as if rain was in order, and the gloominess of the setting only made Marco feel more uncomfortable. He had never had a dream so real that it blurred the lines of reality.

"He was fine; everyone was fine." He told himself repeatedly. He could talk to Kelly when she next came over; he tried to reason with himself. After a moment of continually reassuring himself, he turned around and decided to get dressed as Star had suggested.

He threw off his pajamas, leaving them messily on the ground, and put on his usual dark pair of jeans with the light grey t-shirt. He eyed the room looking around for the central piece. His bright red hoodie, but no matter where he turned it was nowhere to be found.

"Jeez, where is it?" He said in a low, angry tone, feeling this just added more uncomfortable problems.

He had a bunch of them at home, and it was not like he couldn't just use his dimensional scissors to get another one from his closet. However, it was driving him crazy where this one had gone.

He looked around the bed, inside the dresser in the room, and on the floor. "Where is it? C'mon Marco think!" He said. He was profusely sweating and feeling anxious with every second that went by.

Where could he have possibly left it? Marco started to stare blankly at the floor, and images of Kelly wearing it entered his mind. His heart began to race, and he felt himself in a panic once again. The last place he could even recall seeing it was on her as she dangled from his hands inside of that sinister well.

"No... I just... it was a dream, Marco." His self-reassurances were filling ever more with doubt, and it was about now that he felt like he was going a bit crazy. There were so many unanswered questions, and none of this made any sense to him.

Marco paced back and forth along the lush carpet of his bedroom floor until he got himself to calm down a bit. He knew he was overreacting and immediately panicking would do little to help him at a time like this. He decided that the hoodie was lost until further notice and that perhaps having an in-depth discussion with Star would help set him straight.

Marco slipped on his sox and shoes and made his way out of the door into the hallway. It was well lit at this time of day, and every step that Marco took towards the stairs was like reliving some hazy memory. He opened the door to the descending stairs just as he felt he had before, and paused for a minute, remembering that this was the location that Kelly had let go of his hand.

The vivid recollection conjured up intense remorse within his soul, and he could do nothing to shake away the awful feeling. He just decided that he needed to keep moving, and with all haste, he made his way down the stairs towards the dining hall. Once he was out the door and past the fancy paintings, he could see Star standing by the huge dinner table that the royal family used to dine. In the seat, all the way at the end of the table sat King River, and beside him sat Queen Moon.

"Marco!" Star shouted excitedly as she saw her friend enter. "Goin for a new look?" She said in a joking manner, referencing his missing red hoodie.

Marco frowned and shook his head. "Star, look I really need to talk to you... Alone for a minute if possible."

King River raised an eyebrow, and Queen Moon sat silently watching the two of them talk. Star frowned and put her hands at her sides. "Look, Marco, it was a joke, I can tell that you can't find your hoodie, you never move around without it."

Marco nodded slightly, but there was far more that he wanted to talk to her about than just that. "I, well it is true I lost my hoodie, but..." he started to speak again, but Star just put her hand on his shoulder to give him comfort.

"Marco, yesterday was wash day, remember? It is most likely being cleaned by Sir Lavabo as we speak." Star reminded him.

Marco had forgotten about wash day, and it was entirely possible that his hoodie was taken without his knowledge by the castle servants to be washed. All of these things he thought confirmed his dream kept proving to him that he might be overreacting by quite a lot. He silently turned his defeated gaze over to Queen Moon and King River as if asking them for confirmation.

"Marco, lad. The wash was indeed taken yesterday." King River gave his assurance in his usual frank and friendly manner.

Queen Moon gave a nod. "Yes Marco, please put your worries to rest, your uh, hoodie will be returned to you by the evening, I am sure of it."

The two both looked happy and eager to have Marco sit down and relax a bit. Marco turned his attention to Star who was smiling brightly at him. Filling his unsure and aching heart with a little confidence.

"Ok, sure Star." He gave her the first decently warm smile since he had been woken up. Perhaps things were ok, everything seemed reasonable, and he was quite hungry now that he thought about it.

He sat in one of the fancy cushioned chairs that surrounded the table, and Star took a seat next to him. The royal servants entered and began to place various food items along the length of the table, and it was quite a bit more than four people could eat.

Marco watched as the food was laid out and revealed to him. Various portions of mewnian meat, and an assortment of dishes in which corn was apparently the central ingredient. A few various deserts, and a variety of delicious teas or juices to quench one's thirst.

Star, River, and Moon began to take what they desired from the servings and place them on their fancy dishes for consumption. Marco sat at the table and stared at the bountiful amounts of delicious food. He had to keep reminding himself that he had promised Star not to let his paranoia get the better of him.

"What's a matter, my lad? Had your fill of our prized corn already?" River asked while holding a giant mewnian corn cob between his hands, bits of corn stuck in his beard. He may have been a king, but he sure didn't try to act dignified like one.

"Oh no, sir. I just...." Marco tried to explain, not wanting to offend Star's father.

"Ah-hah-hah! I only jest my boy! I know you are upset because of your little nightmare and all that." River said with a boisterous laugh.

"DAD! Sheesh! I told you to be kind to Marco because he had a bad dream, not embarrass him!" Star became loud with frustration and anger.

"Dear! You really need to act more presentable and polite to guests staying in our castle!" Moon reprimanded him, realizing that this was not the way to act in front of outsiders.

"Oh-oh no," Marco shrank a little from all the attention he was getting. "I was just trying to figure out what I wanted to eat. I didn't mean to make anybody else worry about me." He reached out and grabbed some food and placed it on his empty plate.

King River nodded and placed his chewed corn cob on his plate next to his pile of meat. "Ah, Marco, forgive me. I didn't mean to upset you." He said earnestly. He was just trying to have fun with him and didn't want to make things worse.

"No, it is fine really!" Marco put some enthusiasm into his words. He started to use his fork to stab a piece of his thoroughly cooked steak. "I just feel a little out of it today but having lunch with you is making me feel better."

"Hah! Told you, my dear! The boy has the fortitude of a barbarian!" River shouted, and clenched a drumstick in one hand, while the other held onto his half-chewed piece of corn.

Queen Moon stared blankly at her husband and only gave a small smile with a nod. "It would seem you are correct my dear."

Marco laughed a tiny bit at being called a barbarian by King River, but he knew it was quite a high compliment from him. He bit into the piece of mewnian steak, and it had quite a nice savory flavor to it. It had been cooked thoroughly, topped with bits of corn, and marinated in its own juices.

Star watched her father eat like a maniac and noticed Marco's change in demeanor after speaking with him. She just shook her head and smiled to herself. Her dad may have embarrassed her from time to time, but he had this energy about him that made other people feel good.

The four ate and made small talk for quite a while, and as time passed Marco started eating almost as ravenously as King River. Star began to wonder if they were having some unspoken competition to see who could stuff the most in their mouth.

"Ahhhh! Now that is what I call a meal!" King River stated after stuffing himself full. He had various bits of food in his beard and was picking his teeth with a broken rib bone.

Moon shook her head and sighed. She wished he wouldn't do that, but at the same time, loved the freeness of his spirit. He lived his life as he saw fit, and there was something admirable about that. If only she could be so free of self-consciousness as he was.

Marco leaned back in the cushion laden chair and rubbed his stomach. "Oh man I- I am stuffed." He felt a great deal more at ease after the meal.

"I am happy you enjoyed yourself, Marco," Moon said in a delightful tone. She could already sense things returning to proper form once again.

"A-hah My dear, Marco isn't done yet! I have something that will really raise his spirits!" River raised his hand while getting up from the table, and as he started to pass Marco, he grabbed him by the arm dragging him off the chair.

"Ah! Wha- b-but Star!" He tried to protest.

Queen Moon shook her head regarding her husband's antics, and Star bounced in front of her father in an attempt to stop whatever crazy idea he had.

"Dad! I promised Marco that we were going to hang out together today. I don't need you dragging him off on one of your adventures!" She put her foot down with a huff.

"Oh no, my dear. I am going to take Marco to unwind with me at the royal spa. I know whenever I am feeling off, a nice hot soak will pep me right up!" He seemed eager to do his part in helping Marco, and Star wasn't entirely opposed to that kind of idea.

"But I...." Star started to say, but Marco interjected before she could.

"It's fine Star. I can go relax for a little while, and we can hang out after." In truth, the idea of a hot relaxing spa sounded nice to him on this dreary confusing day.

"Fine, Fine," Star waived her hand at Marco and stepped aside. "I will wait for you in my room." She told him where she would be waiting for him.

"Thatta boy!" River shouted happily and started barreling down the hallway with Marco dragging behind him.

After being dragged along for about 10 minutes, Marco found himself in a giant room filled with a massive tub. The tub was elegant as it was made of marble and adorned with gold decorations. The water that sat within it was coming from a mewman made waterfall that added another layer of beauty to the room.

Marco stood there taking in the splendor and then took notice that King River had already removed his garments and was sitting in the hot water, his back pressed against the wall and his arms outstretched. "Coming in lad?" He asked with a grin.

Marco smiled a bit and wasted no time in throwing his clothes aside on the fancy floor. He abruptly jumped into the water and let out a yell of surprise when he felt the burning against his skin.

"Ahhhh! ow, hot! jeez!" He moved about the water as the steam rose from it.

"Ah-hah-hah-hah!" King River bellowed with laughter and held onto his chest while Marco splashed about like a duck in a river.

"M-man!' Marco stuttered and plopped himself down to sit in the hot water. He was burning, but if King River could handle it, he could too.

River watched him through the steam, and Marco watched back. It was quiet now that Marco was getting used to the heat. King River raised his hands out of the water and with a quick swing he clapped his hands together.

"?" Marco looked at him confused, not understanding the gesture.

After a few seconds the door to the room swung open, and in walked several female castle servants. Marco became immediately embarrassed and started to sink into the burning water. Two of the servant girls walked over to King River and immediately began to groom and clean his beard with brushes and exotic soaps.

The other two servants walked over to Marco and started to try to brush his hair, much to his protest.

"Ah, uh, n-no thanks I uhm brushed it this morning." He tried to decline the beauty treatment, but it as obvious he was lying about his hair.

The two girls by Marco giggled slightly, and King River leaned forward while the other two servants combed his beard.

"Marco you need not be embarrassed. These ladies are paid exquisitely to keep myself and my guests looking presentable." River had many servants, and such things were the norm for him.

Marco looked at the two servant girls standing above him and rose up slightly. He felt somewhat embarrassed and ashamed, but he didn't want to offend King River by rejecting his hospitality. He started to sit up straight, and once he was in position, he leaned back against the wall of the tub. The two ladies took to combing his hair and determining what needed to be done to make Marco look fabulous.

After about fifteen minutes of grooming the servant girls had made King River and Marco look kempt and gave them both a feeling of pride.

"Why thank you, ladies, that will be all for today." King River stated, and to that, they gave a bow to him.

"Thanks..." Marco said to them as they made their leave of the room. His embarrassment had left him by now, and he was starting to imagine what it would be like to be a wealthy king himself.

"Feeling better Marco?" Kind River asked abruptly breaking Marco's fantasy.

Marco nodded and let out a small sigh. "I was so upset this morning about the dream, but in truth, everything you guys have done today has made me feel a lot more at ease than before."

King River nodded and sank into the water a bit. "If you need, you can tell me about your dream." There was a seriousness in his voice, but it also sounded understanding in a way Marco had not expected out of King River.

"I, well. I had this dream about Kelly, one of Star's friends." Marco rubbed the back of his nicely combed hair. "I dreamt we accidentally wandered into the forest of certain death, and she wound up falling into a well we found." Marco felt awkward relaying the nonsensical dream to King River, but he hoped it would kill the uneasiness once and for all.

"A well you say?" King River put his hand to his beard and started to stroke it. "Lad, there isn't any well in that forest that I can recall, and I have gone there quite a lot. Also, Kelly? Is that err, is that the girl that is into magic and witchcraft?" He seemed embarrassed not to have a grasp on Star's friends, she had so many.

"What? No, that's Janna, Kelly is..." Marco began.

"Ahh yes, that's the girl that obsessively imitates Star. I know who you are talking about!" River shouted, feeling prideful. The only friend he knew intimately of Star's was Pony Head.

"No, look. Ughh. It isn't important, but what is important is that I am worried she might have been killed." He admitted in his frustration.

River looked at him and gave a nod. "Marco, if anybody that is friends with Star was really hurt Star would know about it, and I am sure she would recognize any one of her friends missing." He said.

"But..." Marco sounded hesitant.

"Marco, I firmly believe dreams can tell us things about ourselves. If you are distressed about Star's friend, then maybe you should take the time to figure out why you are dreaming about her in the first place; before you actually get to figure out what it means." River tried to offer him his genuine perspective on the matter.

Marco thought for a small while realizing that there was some wisdom to King River's words. If he was dreaming about Kelly, there had to be some reason for it, and how could he ever hope to find the meaning of his dream if he didn't even know why it happened in the first place.

"I... uh... is there really no well in that forest?" Marco sheepishly asked.

"My boy I swear to you that I have not seen a well mewman made or otherwise in that forest." River raised his hand to swear to him this was the case.

Marco let out a sigh of relief and smiled. He was starting to feel like his old self once again and stretched out so that he could thoroughly enjoy this relaxing spa.

"Thanks, Rive- I mean Sir," Marco said, showing appreciation for the all that he had done.

"Hah! If you think we are done, you have another thing comin' What good is a hot soak without a vigorous massage?"

Marco laughed a bit, now that he was feeling quite a bit better he could fully enjoy a massage from one of the lovely servant girls. "A massage? That sounds great! He said in an enthusiastic tone. "Are those same girls coming to do that massage or some new ones?"

King River raised his hands and then looked at Marco strangely. "Girls? Marco, most fair maidens can't crack a spine like those with a fierce heart need." He clapped his hands twice.

"What...?" Marco said as he turned to look at the door.

In walked two insanely muscular men with physiques that put adult Marco to shame. They immediately walked over to Marco and King River respectively, and Marco went completely limp.

"I uhh. I think maybe I will take an uhm rain check... perhaps." Marco said in a low, defeated tone

"Nonsense lad, it is my treat!" River said as the two Muscular men grabbed onto Marco and River.

Marco had a look of dread on his face, and it was about now he wished that he hadn't accepted the massage offer, but like so many other things, it was too late to back out now.

Star had sat in her room for a while lost in her thoughts when suddenly she heard the door to her bedroom open. She turned her head to look over and saw Marco limp inside holding his hip.

"Marco!" She eyed him over and could see he was in a lot of pain. "Let me guess. You met my father's masseurs?" Star stated the obvious.

Marco nodded silently feeling as if a truck had run him over. The hot soak and talk might have been nice, but Marco had about as much of King River as he could handle for the day.

"Oh well, they are nice, though I think they can be a bit rough on a person's bones," Star said kicking her feet over the edge of the bed and standing up.

"Yeah tell me about it, sheesh." Marco felt drained of energy, but he didn't feel worried or paranoid any longer.

"Oooohhh somebody got the beauty treatment." Star beamed and pinched Marco's soft cheek.

"Ahh! Star! Cut it out!" He swatted her hand away as she giggled and laughed at his expense.

Marco crossed his arms and shook his head, but then eased up a bit when he saw how much humor she was getting out of it. "Heh, I guess I did huh?" He asked dropping his arms to his sides.

Star was ever smiling and energetic as she came over to Marco and put her hands on his shoulders. "I canceled my date with Tom so that you and I could hang out." She admitted to him.

"I guess he wasn't happy about that," Marco said to her feeling a bit of guilt that he had ruined her plans.

"Nope! But he just has to deal with it because there is always tomorrow!" She winked and pulled back from Marco.

"So whatcha wanna do for the evening?" She asked him.

"I- uh I really don't know. I haven't given it much thought." He admitted to her and rubbed the side of his arm.

"Hmmm well since it is raining, how about we do something indoors," Star suggested.

"Like a movie?" Marco blurted out.

"Ah! Mooovviiieee!" Star had sparkles in her eyes as she slinked over to Marco and grabbed his arm with a smile. "Yesss!"

Marco blinked and couldn't help but feel good because of her eccentric behavior. "Fine." He pulled Star along the hallway all the way to his room where his dimensional scissors sat on the dresser.

Once he had picked them up, he looked at Star who was now standing next to him waiting patiently for him to open the portal. With a quick slice through the air, Marco opened a swirling vortex that led directly to earth. After a second Star leaped into it followed by Marco. When they landed on the other side, they were met with strange stares from moviegoers standing in line at the cineplex.

Marco looked embarrassed and began trying to explain himself, but Star just immediately grabbed him without care and pushed him into line. "Ah! Star we don't even know what we are going to see!" His voice came out loudly.

Star just pointed her finger at a poster with a bunch of cute cats in space helmets. "That!" She almost demanded.

"Wha- Space Kitties? Star I don't know about..." He stopped when he saw her put on her pouty crying face.

"Ugh, fine." He started reaching into his jeans pocket and pulled out some of his money.

Star squealed with delight as Marco paid for their two tickets. They both walked to the concession stand and got drinks and some popcorn. Star was excited about the movie, but Marco seemed less than thrilled, though at the very least his concerns were now on Star and the film.

About an hour into the film Star and Marco sat in the center row of a packed theatre. Their popcorn was all but gone, and Marco silently sipped on a soda while watching the image of a cat bounce around on the moon with nothing more than a space helmet on.

"That's one small paw for cats, and one giant pounce for cat kind!" The squeaky kitty on the screen said.

"Oh man...," Marco said to himself in a whisper sinking into the theatre chair.

Star had her eyes locked on the screen and a giant smile on her face. "Soooooo cuteeeeee." She said in a raspy whisper.

Marco just stared at her and was dumbfounded by her enthusiasm, but then again this was Star Butterfly, so maybe he shouldn't be.

The two sat there for the next thirty minutes, and Star's attention never left the screen. Marco, however, kept turning his gaze to look at her in her trance-like state. His mind had pushed almost everything out at this point, and he kept imagining that this was a date of some kind despite her status as "taken."

The movie ended, and the two quietly made their way out of the theater among the crowd of people. Star seemed very happy about what she had witnessed and wrapped her arm around Marco's neck as they walked. "Sooo whatcha think?" She asked excitedly.

Marco was hesitant to give his answer on the movie, but at the same time, the entire event was pleasant to him. He felt as if he were old Marco again, and it was refreshing.

"I uh..." He started to speak and then used his scissors to cut a dimensional hole in the hallway after the moviegoers had moved on ahead. "I thought it was cute."

"I KNOW right!" Star shouted, as the two jumped through the portal, and in that instant found themselves in Marco's dark room. The sun had set, and the clouds over Mewni had blocked the moonlight from shining.

Marco turned on a lamp that sat atop his dresser and the room quickly burned with dim light. Star stretched her arms out feeling content with the evening and watched as Marco made his way to the edge of his bed and sat on it.

"Feelin ok now Marco?" Star asked him with care.

"I uhm..." Marco looked down and then back at Star. "I just want to thank you for the stuff you did today. I know I can be a pain sometimes, but I... Thanks." He said resting his hands on his legs.

Star smiled and came over to take a seat next to him. "Anytime Marco! I am just happy you are feeling better." She said to him, but there was a part of her that was starting to wonder.

"Uhm, though I am curious, what was it about the dream that upset you so much?" Star asked, genuinely wanted to know, and it was only now that she realized she had never asked.

"I... well, it's dumb..." Marco tried to brush it aside, but not because remembering it hurt him. It was because he was nervous about revealing the subject matter to Star.

"Marco, nothing you say is dumb, alright. Please tell me; I really don't want you to keep it inside, or else you might feel bad again." Star said while giving him a sympathetic, warm grin.

Even through Marco's hesitation, Star's smile was effective. He looked down at the dark floor illuminated by the faint orange light and began to speak.

"Well... Alright Star, but please let me finish the whole thing without interruption." He rubbed his legs somewhat apprehensively.

"Marco, would I ever interrupt you at a time like this?" She said with a laugh, oblivious to all the times it had occurred throughout the afternoon.

Marco gave her a weak smile but figured that he could trust her to let him speak now that she promised to.

"Alright Star." He said.

With that, he started regaling his dream to her. The sadness, the night, and the walk. Star listened to him, and as the story slowly progressed, her expression went from that of a happy listener to a concerned friend. It was as if the further along Marco went the more uncomfortable Star became.

Marco omitted his reasons for sadness, and the things he had intimately felt that night, but even so, Star seemed to be intensely concerned about what he was saying. Her whole demeanor had changed, and it looked like she had some insight that he somehow lacked about that night.

Minutes passed until Marco finished his tale of Kelly's assured demise, his loss of consciousness, and ending with his waking up this morning.

"And that's my dream. I know it is weird, but I just, it really frightened me." He tried to play down the intenseness of his feelings, and the intimacy which had been implied throughout. Marco stared at Star who had a frown on her face and looked visibly upset.

"Star?" Marco tried to ask, but he realized now that it was something he had said that upset her.

"Look, Star, I am sorry that my dream is so weird and uncomfortable. I didn't mean to dream about your friend like that." He tried to salvage the good mood they had just moments before.

"No, I... Marco. It-It's fine. Really." She stammered. "You had a bad dream, and I get that, but...." She tried to explain.

"But what?" Marco said to her while wracking his brain for the source of her discomfort.

Star stared at him for a moment in silence, and then her voice came out delicate and cautiously. The words she spoke, though cushioned, came like a dagger to pierce Marco's heart. Shattering his reality and bringing about an intense flood of uncertainty that shook him to his core.

"Who's Kelly?"

...


	3. Uncertainty.

"Tom look... I am really sorry about this, but well..." Star said hesitantly, holding her phone close to her ear.

"Ugh, not again Star. You've literally canceled every time I have tried to go on a date with you for past the few days. We make new plans, and then you go and cancel them!" Tom responded feeling agitated with the current state of affairs.

"Look, I am really sorry, reallllyyyyy... It is just that Marco has been having a constant meltdown for days now. He is really upset, and I am just trying to make him feel better." Star tried to once again explain the situation.

Tom looked at his phone for a second and could feel the rage burning from deep within himself. "Star, what about me, huh? Aren't I your boyfriend? Ever since Marco went and made up some fake girl and claimed she went missing, you've done nothing but pay attention to him."

Star could hear his voice becoming elevated, and knew he was trying to hold himself back from losing his temper. "Tom... I know it is bizarre, but he just won't stop." She paused to look around Marco's room that was filled with a dozen different dimensional portals. "I think maybe Mewni is a bit too much for him, and he needs my support."

Tom let out an exasperated sigh and shook his head. "I know, but... I just really love you, and I want to spend time with you." He admitted.

Star smiled feeling flattered, and then rubbed the back of her head sheepishly with her free hand. "Hey uhm, how about we get together, just you and me, and have dinner tonight instead. Even if Marco is still upset, he can handle an hour or two alone." Her voice was hesitant, but she was willing to try again.

Tom didn't fully believe her but accepted the kind gesture none the less. "Alright Star, we will meet tonight for dinner."

"Thanks, Tom, you're the greatest." She said earnestly to him.

Tom blushed slightly as she said that and he felt his anger melt away. Star was one of the few calming things in his life, and as much as he hated who he became when he lost control, he felt secure in her company.

"T-thanks Star... I'll see you tonight." He said, and then proceeded to hang up the phone when they exchanged their goodbyes.

Star put her phone back into her decorative bag and stood there waiting around for a good twenty minutes. Eventually, Marco came barging out from one of the portals, and it was evident to her that he was out of breath and stressed out.

"I can't believe it Star! I've looked all around for days! Every place she likes! Every friend of hers! Nothing! Nobody has ever heard of her!" He was yelling in sheer distress, as he grabbed his face with both of his hands and flopped onto his bed.

"Marco... I know all of my friends, and I would never forget anybody like that.... I am not saying you are making things up, but I just don't see how somebody could exist and you are the only one who can recall them." Star said gently to him, trying to convince him he might be hyping himself up.

"Ohhh no Star, she was real, I know it! I swear it! Nobody has believed me, but I swear she was at your sleepover." He kept feeling upset, even Star thought he was a liar or a nutcase.

"Marco, if that is true, then why have you not found her yet?" Star asked him a logical question.

"I DON'T KNOW!" He shouted loudly in frustration. "I spent 16 years searching for, and tracking down Hekapoo, but can find no trace of Kelly." It was so maddening to him that he really didn't know what to do with himself.

"Marco it has been a few days, so why don't you give it a rest." She suggested.

Marco got up and moved over to her. He placed his hands on her shoulders and shook her back and forth roughly. "Star, please! I am not making this up, she could be really hurt, or-or..." He didn't know how to finish the sentence.

"Whoa, Marco!" She placed her hands on his shoulders to get him to stop and then stared into his eyes. "Calm down a bit, if, whats-her-name... Katie exists..."

"KELLY!" Marco shouted.

"Err... Kelly exists. Then freaking out and yelling won't help you find her." Star said as she felt Marco relax a tiny bit in her grasp, and he slowly lowered his hands until they slid off of her.

"Y-you're right Star. I just... I don't know, I feel responsible. I want to help her so badly." He admitted and hid his gaze from Star. He could feel the tears coming, and he was not about to let her see them.

Star could feel her heart ache for him, and though she had distanced herself from him in recent times, she still had these strong emotions for him. Seeing him hurt like this was hard for her.

"Marco, if I help you look for her, will you please try to calm down?" Star eventually said.

Marco shook his head, he was in complete disbelief that somebody was even willing to entertain this thought for a minute, but he eventually gave her a smile. "Yeah Star, if-if you would help me look I... it would make me feel a whole lot better."

"Alright Marco, fine, sure, BUT, if we search for her together and don't find her, then you have to give this thing a rest. Okay?" Star said as she removed her hands from him, placing them on hips.

"I... Alright fine, but..." Marco was about to add something to the agreement, but just let out a sigh. "Okay... I will give it a rest if we both can't find her."

"Great!" Star said, as she held up her wand and with a gentle flick her pink cloud with adorning wings appeared. "Cloudy!"

She turned to Marco and smiled. "Let's ride!" She roared as she hopped onto the magical creature.

Marco nodded slowly and then got on behind Star. He gently placed his arms around her frame to hold on, and the warmth of his touch made Star feel anxious and embarrassed.

Star sat there and said nothing while Marco just kept his arms around her waiting for something to happen.

"Uhhh Star?" He said to her.

"O-oh, ye-yes Marco?" She stammered slightly, and looked back at him, unsure of what he was going to say.

"Well, we aren't moving, so I thought?" He started to say.

"OH-Oh yah. Hahahah!" She laughed nervously. "To the Forest of Certain Death Cloudy!" She shouted.

The cloud took off and flew out of Marco's room window, as they made their way towards the dangerous forest.

"The Forest of Certain Death? Marco asked, unsure if it was even wise to go in there after what he had experienced.

"Well that's where you said you lost her, so I figure it is the best place to look. If anything funny happens, I have my magic to take care of things." She held up her wand proudly.

Marco smiled a bit, he couldn't help but feel comfortable with Star. She had powers that were beyond imagination on earth, so if Kelly was indeed out there somewhere, he felt Star would be the one that could find her.

The two flew through the clear Mewni sky as the crisp autumn breeze blew through their hair. Even during such a crisis, Marco could appreciate the beauty of a nice day. It made him feel hopeful that things would turn out ok... Somehow.

After the brief ride, the two of them got off of the cloud and stood before the recognizable path through the forest. It might have been less intimidating during the day, but it still had a quiet, insidious quality to it that brought uneasiness.

"Alright Marco, you lead the way from here!" Star said enthusiastically. He was the only one who could possibly lead them in the correct direction.

"I..." Marco was about to protest, but he stopped, as he could vaguely remember the night. "Alright..."

He walked forward along the same dirt path following it just as he remembered he did before. The leaves on the trees were still vibrant colors of beauty, and it belied the danger within. It was as if it was a pleasant way to lure people into the maze of branches and uncertain pathways.

After a good thirty-minute walk in silence Star eventually spoke up. "So... was uhm... this Kelly is really that important to you?"

There was a pause in Marco's step, and he turned to look at her. He couldn't believe she would say that, and it was hard for him to grasp that she had no idea who Kelly was.

"I well..." Marco thought back to that night. The closeness he felt to her as she tried to comfort him. How he would have given everything to have Star that intimately close, but now he longed for the girl who'd been there the whole time.

"Yeah... She was important to all of us." He finally finished, realizing that perhaps that day at the beach meant more than he had known.

Star gave him a perplexed look, and she couldn't help but feel a little jealous. She doubted her own recollection because of Marco, and she could tell by the way he spoke that there was more profound care within him for this girl.

"Here!" Marco said, interrupting Star's thoughts on the matter.

"Hm?" She cocked her head to the side and looked confused.

"I recognize this path! It-it is where Kelly and I became even more confused." He pointed to the crossroads that he had encountered before.

Star gazed along the paths, looking down each one. "So which way do we go them?" She asked.

"That way!" He pointed down the leftmost path he had remembered walking in search of the way back to Mewni kingdom.

"Alright let's head down that way them," Star said walking next to Marco instead of behind him.

The two marched on, and even though it was past midday, Marco was having trouble recognizing the exact area they were in. He remembered as he walked down the leftmost path he had turned around at some point and gotten even more lost, but there were no side trails that deviated from the way he was walking. It didn't make much sense, but with the fog and darkness perhaps his mind played many tricks on him.

"What's wrong Marco?" Star asked seeing the worry on his face.

"I- well I remember coming down this path, turning around and getting lost. However, I never saw the crossroads again, and there is no other path that I could have walked down." He explained his thoughts to her.

Star surveyed the area and come to the conclusion that perhaps they should head backward.

"I think it might be best if we just head to the crossroads and take the rightmost path." She said.

Marco stopped walking, thought for a second, and decided that she was most likely right. They turned back just as Marco had done that night with Kelly and started walking back from whence they came.

The two walked for a good while, and Marco expected the path to change and become radically different, but unlike before it just looked the same. Eventually, they found themselves at the crossroads and crossed it together to head down the opposite path.

Even though they both knew the right way home and Star had her magic. Walking along these twisting and branching paths made them feel lost. An endless sea of trees, leaves, trails, and brush assaulted them from multiple directions. Their wandering carried them for hours, and time felt lost to them when they were unable to see the sun clearly beyond the tops of the forest.

Still, they went on together hoping that the truth lies somewhere within these woods. Marco paid close attention to his surroundings and felt that none of it looked familiar to him.

"This feels hopeless Star. I just can't remember any of this." He whined, feeling the sadness returning.

"Look Marco, up ahead is a clearing." Star pointed forward towards an opening in the trees in the distance. "Maybe there is something there, you told me you found an extravagant glade when you lost your friend."

Marco looked hard and could see it in the distance. He felt a bit of excitement and hope rise within his heart, and he started to move at a quicker pace. "This might be it! Maybe Kelly really is here!" He exclaimed.

"Whoa, Marco, Marco, slow down, you don't want to end up getting hurt before you even get there. This forest is filled with dangerous things." Star reminded him, as she grabbed onto the back of his shirt.

Marco abruptly stopped the moment he felt her grasp on him. "I-uh... thanks, Star." He blushed a little bit for having gotten ahead of himself. He appreciated that he had her here to keep him in check.

After several more minutes of walking, they both found themselves entering the open patch of forest. There, sitting in the small opening was absolutely nothing but bushes and various piles of fallen leaves.

"Darn!" Star said as she snapped her fingers. With all the intrigue and the things that Marco had told her about. She had almost wanted to find this "Kelly" and see this magical glade.

Marco stood in disbelief, he couldn't understand that out of all the time they walked they hadn't found such an unmistakable landmark. In fact, this was the only glade they had stumbled across. Logically, given that they followed the exact steps he remembered, the treasure and the well should be sitting here.

He plopped to the ground in defeat, and his eyes scanned the area as he tried to force it to become the place he was searching for. Maybe the well was once over there, or perhaps there? Were there ever beautiful flowers here? No, it didn't make sense, none of it did.

Marco turned to Star giving her a sad look, and then he placed his hands on his knees. He had dragged Star out into this dangerous forest over some stupid nightmare. He doubted that Kelly had even existed himself. His mind endlessly playing tricks on him, to be so sure and unsure simultaneously was tearing him apart.

"Star... I... I'm sorry." He said staring out into the clearing, as he took in the high piles of leaves all about the ground. "I guess I just..." He couldn't finish saying it.

Star came over and kneeled down next to him placing her gentle hand on his back. The second he felt it, he started to shutter, and he felt his heart beat faster. "I'm here for you Marco, Okay?" Her voice was gentle and sweet, and though a small part of her was annoyed for having to go through all of this, she was happy he was coming back to the real world.

The two looked up and could see the sun turning into its afternoon orange glow through the opening in the trees, and they started to realize just how long they had wandered around the forest together.

Star remembered that she had promised to meet up with Tom for dinner, and as the hour approached, she realized she hadn't even begun to get ready for it. "Marco, I um, we didn't find her, and I promised Tom that I would meet him for dinner, so does this really satisfy you? If not, I will call and cancel the date, and we can keep looking."

Marco looked down at the leaves that had littered the ground in big piles and then pulled himself up to his feet keeping his eyes on his shoes. Deep down he wanted Star to stay, and he felt jealous that she wanted to go off to have a date with Tom, but he knew that he couldn't keep hogging her to himself.

"Yeah... I... you were right. My overactive imagination just got the best of me." He said sadly and then felt Star's arms wrap around him, giving him the biggest hug.

Marco slid his arms around her for comfort, and the two basked in the glow of Sun's dying light. Holding one another, but afraid to speak the feelings trapped deep within their hearts. Comfort was the reason they came together, but love was the reason they refused to let go.

"Feel better?" Star eventually asked him quietly as he held her.

He looked up to stare into her beautiful eyes and then gave her a slow nod. He felt as good as he could, and maybe with time, he could return to being the Marco he thought he was once before. The two finally let go, and Star waved her wand through the air.

"Summon Cloudy Charm!" She called out to summon her beloved flying cloud.

With a poof of magic, the cloud appeared, and Star immediately hopped onto it. "C'mon Marco, I am sure there is a delicious dinner waiting for you back at the castle."

Marco eked out a smile and wrapped his arms around her once again as he took his place behind her. Within seconds the cloud started to ascend into the air and made its way upwards quickly through the opening in the trees.

Marco put his gaze on the setting sun for a second and then turned his sight downwards towards the forest. As they rapidly elevated, he could make out the piles of leaves that lay strewn about the forest floor, and there entrenched in one of the more massive collections, appeared to be the faintest glimmer of pink. It stood out amongst the sea of gold and red, and he now knew that he was going crazy.

He started to shake suddenly, and his heart began to pound within his chest. His breathing was stilled, and he removed his hands briefly from Star to rub his eyes. By the time he was able to look back down again, the opening in the treetops was all but indistinguishable from the rest of the forest.

Star noticed his odd change in behavior and looked back at him. "Everything all right?" She asked, double checking on him.

"Y-yeah... I just... "He wrapped his arms around her once more. "I just had something in my eyes was all. That forest was dusty..." His voice was meek, but Star understood he was still recovering from everything that had just happened.

Marco knew that his eyes were probably just playing tricks on him, but despite that, he felt the ever-increasing dread welling up within his heart. Kelly was out there somewhere, and Marco knew that he had to find her before it was too late.

"Well, about time you showed up," Tom said as he sat at the table watching Star rush into the seat across from him. "I was about to call the whole dinner off, but I guess an hour late is better than not showing up at all.... Again." He crossed his arms and didn't even try to hide the fact he was incredibly angry at her.

"Tom, I, I am soooo sorry. Look, Marco and I got a little sidetracked and..." She started running her mouth a mile a minute while trying to catch her breath between words.

Tom just held up his hand to silence her and then took a sip of his water glass on the table. "I get it Star... It is always Marco. Marco this and Marco that, but you are here with me now, so please just spend time with me. Tom's rage was building, but with every fiber of his being, he was trying to hold it in.

Star took in a breath and nodded. "Y-your right Tom. I just wanted to explain myself was all.

Tom continued keeping his arms crossed and started to speak in an angry tone. "It was obvious why! You were standing me up. I don't need it reiterated by you."

Star was starting to lose her patience with Tom. She understood why he was angry, but he didn't need to be such a jerk about it. She wanted him to be understanding of the giant mess she had found herself in with Marco.

"Tom, I came here to have dinner with you, not get yelled at by you. I understand your upset but be thankful I showed up at all." She said.

"Oh, be lucky you showed up? How gracious of you. I guess you'd rather spend your time with Marco then?" Tom's voice became low and seething.

"Tom I..." Star began.

"Pardon me Sir, Madame, are you ready to order?" A waiter interrupted the moment. He stood there with his pen and paper at the ready to jot down their order.

"I uh... uhm, demon head soup with a side of Mewni corn steak for me please..." Tom said, repressing the raging urges within himself.

Star looked at him blankly, and then realized she'd never eaten here before. "Uhhh..."

"She'd probably like the lava reef salad with a side of corn, and a plate of your famous devil's food cake," Tom spoke up.

Star blinked, she did like the sound of that spicy salad mixture, and you could never go without corn, but that cake though, it sounded delicious as well.

"Uhm... What he said." Star said sheepishly.

"Very good, and what would you like to drink with your meal?" The waiter asked.

"Lava Lake Punch." Star and Tom said almost simultaneously.

"Ahhh very good. I will be back shortly with your drinks." The waiter finished jotting down the orders and headed off into the back area of the restaurant.

Star and Tom looked at each other, and they both let out a light laugh.

"Thanks, Tom, really. I know I haven't been spending as much time with you as I should be, but I want you to know I appreciate you taking me out tonight." Star said while placing her hands on the table.

"Hey, don't worry about it Star. I know I can be grumpy, but that is only because I need my Star fix to get through the day." He moved his hand across the table and placed it on top of hers.

They exchanged smiles, and both of their hearts beat quickly in the moment.

"How... did you get a reservation here anyway? It is such short notice for a place like this that I figured we would just order some corn on a stick or something." She asked while she let her hand rest under his.

"Oh well, it took a lot of threatening the manager, but he eventually decided to kneel before me," Tom said with a cool smile.

Star looked unimpressed and used her free hand to take a drink of water. "You begged and cried on the phone didn't you." She said.

"N-no what are you talking about Star. I would never..." He nervously rubbed his hair with his hand.

"Well anyway thanks." She shot him a delicate smile that made him feel all shaky inside.

"Y-you're welcome Star." He said.

The two sat there and talked for a while forgetting about their troubles. The food came, and sure to its reputation it was delicious. The salad was spicy and filled with exotic plants, the corn was cooked just right, and the devil's food cake was to die for, literally...

"Ohhh the food was sooo good." Star leaned back in her chair and rubbed her aching stomach. She couldn't believe how much she ate, and she also couldn't believe how relieved she felt get out like this.

"You aren't kidding, it was delicious," Tom said as he started viewing the check.

"Do you need any help with that?" Star asked.

"Nah, I am taking you out to dinner, buttt..." He started to say.

"But what?" Star asked, curious about what he was going to say.

"Maybee, you'd like to come over to my place for a few hours and watch some movies with me?" He asked her excitedly.

Star thought about it, and it really did sound appealing to her, but she knew she promised Marco she would return after dinner. "Uhm. I think maybe we should do that another time. I told Marco that I would return after eating."

"Oh come on Star! Marco has had enough time with you." Tom said frustratedly.

"It was a nice meal, but I just..." Star tried to explain.

"No Star." Tom was losing his temper once again. "Marco is just making things up to get attention from you, and I am sick of it. There is no such thing as Kimmy." He said.

"Katie." Star corrected him.

"WHOEVER!" His voice became loud enough for the restaurant patrons to turn their heads and stare at them.

"Tom stop," Star said agitated, she didn't want to go through with this again after it had already been addressed.

"Either Marco is a liar, or he is a completely unstable loon," Tom stated indignantly as he threw his money down on the table for the meal. He was tired of living in Marco's shadow, his own girlfriend wouldn't even spend more than two hours with him.

Star became angry with his choice of words and stood up. "I'm leaving..." She said, trying to escape before things got worse.

"Oh no, you don't!" Tom defiantly slammed his hands onto the tabletop nearly breaking it. "I am sick of this! It is either him or me!" His demon impulses had taken over, and the restaurant turned back to their meals out of fear.

Star turned around, and he could see the anger on her face. "Don't talk about Marco like that!" Was all she had to say.

Tom angrily looked away, and then after a short breath, he started to return to normal. "Fine..." He said, and Star could see the pain on his face.

"Tom..." Star started to speak, but he turned away from her.

"You've made your choice..." Tom's voice came out choked and rough. She could hear the crying pain in his tone, and it was breaking her heart.

"I didn't." She tried to walk towards him.

"YOU HAVE!" He yelled in a rage and slammed his hand on the table with such force that it split it in two. He then turned away from her, and within seconds he had left the building.

Star held her head and felt miserable. She had to deal with Marco and now this, she didn't want to break up with Tom, but at the same time if he was going to be this jealous then maybe they shouldn't be together.

She walked out of the restaurant and entered the royal chariot that awaited to take her back to her home and started to look out the window as it carried her away from the underworld. Leaving behind not only Tom but her pleasant memories of a once happy relationship. She felt her heart falling apart on the inside, and the tears instinctively rolled down her cheeks until they blotter her beautiful, fancy dress.

Star didn't know why everything was suddenly falling apart, but right now she needed somebody to help her feel better, and Marco was the only person that she could even think of that could do that.


	4. Insidious Passion.

Marco lay awake each night, haunted by the things that he could barely recall. Something within him over this short time had snapped, and though he knew the source of his distress, he found himself continually losing the more delicate details.

He was there in the darkness just the same as he was the night when Katie had arrived, and the hollowness he felt was a fair exchange for the faintest glimpse of the memory he longed for. Katie... A name so unfamiliar to him, yet the only one he knew in some personal way.

Her vague smile and the sinister well that had swallowed her whole were all he believed to be true. All else was becoming lost to time, and the faintest glimpse of pink was all he had to lend him hope of her existence.

...

Knock.

...

Knock.

...

Knock.

...

The bangs echoed through his dark room, and as if on repeat. Marco shuffled out of his bed and towards his closed door. He knew not who it could be, but he hoped above all else Katie would spring forth from the shadows and release him of his depression.

He opened the door with his right hand and on the other side was who he should have expected, but his need for closure had fooled him briefly into believing it was somebody else.

"Star?' Marco asked somewhat in a daze.

"It's late." He mentioned halfheartedly.

"Sorry to bother you, Marco... I, well I just have a lot of things on my mind that I feel I need to get out of my head." Star was uncharacteristically serious, and he could barely see her through the dark night.

"Sure..." Marco said somewhat distantly. He was at odds with himself, wanting to let go and forget the misery, but also wanting to take action against it.

Star walked in and used her wand to illuminate the room in just such a way that it maintained its murky atmosphere. It was evident that she desired to shelter herself in the shadows if she needed to, but as luck would have it, he wanted the same.

Marco moved over and sat atop his bed, and Star followed suit, placing herself but inches away from him. Neither of them could speak at the moment, but they could both feel the heavy sadness that infected the room.

"Marco..." Star began.

"Star?" Marco responded.

"I..." Star hesitated.

"You?" Marco interrupted.

Star hid her face by looking away from him, and Marco rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably.

There was a brief silence, and both of them felt like they needed to say something, but neither knew how to go about it.

.....

"Go ahead Star. I am all ears, if you need to get something off your mind, then you have my attention." Marco eventually gave her comforting words of encouragement.

"Maybe now is not the best time," Star admitted, as she began to stand up to leave.

Marco almost instinctively stood up and latched his hand around her wrist.

Star was surprised at his sudden boldness, and she stared into his eyes as the wand she sat lying on his bed continued to pump a faint light into the room.

Marco didn't say anything, but she could tell that he was serious now, and she also knew that he didn't want her to leave him there alone.

"I... Well, I just wanted to say that... The more I think about how I have been acting, the more I wanted to tell you I was sorry." Star began.

"The truth is, when I told you I had a crush on you, I honestly wasn't expecting to ever see you again." Star paused for a second. "When you came here out of nowhere, you ended up messing up my plans." She said while Marco kept his grasp on her wrist.

"Plans?" Marco said, not sure exactly what she was talking about.

"I started dating Tom because I just wanted to be rid of you, to forget how I was feeling about you. It was painful for me when I left, as I honestly thought our very friendship was over." Star's words were as heartfelt as they were sad, and she looked as though her heart was bleeding from it.

Marco let out a sigh and then moved both of his hands so that they rested on her shoulders. With a gentle tug, he pulled her in close for a secure, loving hug.

"Don't feel sorry Star. I shouldn't have been such a coward. I should have told you how I felt the minute I realized myself, but instead, I tried to pretend I didn't like you back." He took in an exasperated breath.

"If-if only I had been brave then none of this grief might have happened in the first place." He said as broke his hug by pulling away, sliding back until his hands rested on her shoulders once again.

"So, you... you like me too?" Star said, to the revelation.

"Of course I do!" Marco said passionately as he tightened his grip on her shoulders. "How could I not? Your pretty, fun to be around, you kick butt, and you are my best friend." He said caught up in the fiery emotions burning within him.

Star watched him while feeling her cheeks get hot, and then she averted her gaze enough so that she could barely see him out of the corner of her eye.

"I just... ever since I had that nightmare about Katie, I just... I don't know, it felt so real..." Marco's voice was full of confusion.

There was a small pause, and he felt unsure about both his feelings as well as the things he had just admitted to her.

.....

"Tom and I broke up tonight..." Star blurted out, as she lifted her head to face Marco once more.

"What?" Marco sounded surprised and was oscillating between guilt, joy, and uncertainty.

Star gave a nod and then fidgeted with her hands. "Tom is just so insecure and jealous. Not only that, but the more I thought about it when I got home, the more I realized I was in a relationship with him to avoid my feelings for you."

Marco couldn't believe what he was hearing, and though he was filled with ambivalence, he wanted to explore this sentiment more.

"Star... I..." He began to say but was cut off by Star leaning in inches away from his face.

"I like you, Marco Diaz... More than a friend." She said her voice barely above a whisper.

Marco shut his eyes and tried to gather his thoughts, his heart was pounding, and he felt sweaty. He had wanted this more than anything, but could he really allow himself to feel so elated at such a sensitive time. No, no he couldn't, and he was about to say as much, if not for the sensation of burning warmth beginning to press against his lips.

Marco's eyes shot open immediately, and he could see Star leaning forward pressing her delicate lips against his. He could feel the surge of passion and energy move through him, and though he felt wrong for allowing this, he did so none the less.

"Mmmm..." Came the low, passionate moan from Star as she explored her feelings physically with Marco.

Her arms moved up, and she started to hug him. Marco leaned back, and with much force toppled over onto the bed as Star took control. She propped herself over him and kissed furiously like she had never done with anybody before. Their hearts beating in fast tandem with one another.

Sliding, moving, caressing, moaning, and pressing atop Marco bed. Star's wand had fallen to the floor with a thud, and neither of them could remember their immediate despair. There was only each other.

Marco started to kiss back giving himself into temptation, and Star only welcomed his lustful kisses. They rolled over and kissed until neither of them could breathe. After they broke their lips to gasp for precious oxygen, they found themselves back at it seconds later.

The night was a swirling, blurred memory, as the two got caught up in an intense affection that they had denied themselves for so long. Now realized, it might finally lead to some peace for them, or at least Marco hoped that it would.

.....

.....

.....

Morning eventually came, and Marco found himself unable to move from where he lay. He was known to toss and turn in his sleep, but now he was stuck in a stationary position. His mind was free of distress, and his eyes opened to the welcoming sight of Star snuggling close to his body.

Last night had not merely been some incredible dream or fantasy, but a reality that Marco couldn't believe. Her peaceful sleeping was proof that what had happened last night was real, and as he took a moment to reflect back on it. He couldn't remember anything but her soft kisses against his lips and face.

He lay still so as not to disturb her and realized that he no longer felt that intense sadness that had plagued him. Heck, he had trouble even remembering the source of it. A nightmare, he could recall, but about some Katie girl. Why was he so disturbed by that? Who cared? He didn't know a Katie.

Star opened her eyes after a moment or two, and she smiled at Marco with a light blush on her cheeks. "M-morning." She stammered cutely in her embarrassment.

"Morning Star," Marco said, feeling invigorated.

"I trust you slept well?" Star said with a smile.

Marco nodded in answer to her question and squeezed her body gently against his. "I haven't felt this good in weeks," Marco admitted.

"As long as you aren't having any more Kari nightmares." Star let out a jovial laugh.

"I think her name was Katie." Marco let out a playful laugh also, as he thought about how worked up he'd gotten over some silly dream.

Star sat up breaking free of his grip and proceeded to look down at him. "I'm glad you are returning to the Marco I know and care about." She said to him.

Marco sat up so that he was directly in front of Star. "You aren't the only one. I feel horrible about how I have been acting." He placed his hand on top of hers.

Star felt at peace and shook her head. "No Marco, it isn't just you. If I had only been honest with myself, I wouldn't have hurt you and driven you away.

"So, what does this mean?" Marco asked with a smile.

"I think it means, you and I need to go on an actual date today," Star said to him, letting him know just exactly where things had progressed to.

Marco looked to the side for a second, and then riskily asked a question he knew could destroy the mood. "What about Tom, though?" Why did he ask that? Why did he care at all? Not even Marco himself knew.

"Tom will just have to deal with my decision, he wanted to act immature last night, I have the right to look elsewhere." Star was firm, and it was apparent she despised jealousy from a partner.

"Anyway, I said that I gave it some thought, and realized that I never stopped liking you, so now that we are both on the same page... Why not give it a try?" She reasoned.

Marco liked the sound of that, and rather than answer, he gave her a kiss on the lips. To which Star felt her heart rate rise, and her face burn with shyness. "I heh... well..."

She could be quite cute when she became shy, and Marco found himself happy once again as things turned better than they had ever been.

Marco stood up and stretched out his arms. "I'm gonna go clean off, and maybe we can hit an amusement park on earth or something." He suggested.

Star nodded as she stood up herself. She needed to take a shower and change her clothes. She was still in the lovely dress she had worn on her date with Tom. Both of them headed their separate ways, and both of them felt an overwhelming sense of joy that replaced all else negative in their minds.

...

...

...

"Star."

....

"Star Look... I am sorry about last night. I just got carried away." Tom pleaded on the other end of the phone.

"Tom look, we've been through this. You had your chance, and you have proven that you do not trust me." Star said firmly, as she started applying some perfume for her afternoon date with Marco.

"Star... Please, look, I know I was out of line, but I just felt so upset over this whole not seeing you thing." Tom's voice was sounding slightly desperate, and it was apparent he was near tears.

"No Tom, you storming out was the last thing you will ever do. I tried to like you, but after what you did, I realized I just didn't." Her voice was calm, but there was also a trace of bitterness to it that was unbecoming of her.

Tom felt his heart break and sink into his stomach, as his voice cracked in one last desperate plea. "Please Star... I love you! I was stupid, I was a jerk, I am dumb!" He humiliated himself before her.

"That's right Tom, you were, so now Marco has his chance to make me happy. It would be best if you moved on now because I already have." Star said aggressively, and then she hung up the phone. She could feel strange anger coursing through her, and she honestly didn't feel sorry about the meanness with which she had spoken.

Tom stared at the phone in disbelief. He was utterly destroyed by her cruel tact and was beginning to lose himself in his madness. The rage inside him built until flames started to flare up from his hands. His phone started to melt, and with one mighty swing, he threw it across the room in a rage.

"RRRRHHHHHAHHHHHHH!" His scream of anguish echoed through his home, and he dropped to his knees in despair.

"MARCO!" His hands balled up into fists, and he slammed on the floor so hard that cracks started to travel along to the walls.

He didn't know what had gotten into Star, but he was sure it was Marco's doing. He had tried to be friends with him, he tried to let Star's feelings for him go, but now he just couldn't. He hated Marco and felt the urge to destroy him with all his demonic strength.

Tom placed his hand on his aching chest and cradled himself sadly. As much as he wanted to take spiteful revenge and react to Star's cruelty, he knew it was pointless. No matter what, he could never be loved as he was now, and figured that a monster like himself didn't deserve the happiness he sought.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a picture of Star and himself looking oh so happy in a loving embrace. What had happened to that moment? Tom didn't know, but he decided that he hated Star as much as he hated Marco at this moment. Within seconds the favorite picture began to immolate and turn into nothing more than black ashes upon the cracked stone floor.

With that done, he decided he would sever all ties. For better or worse, he wanted nothing to do with either them or their "relationship."

...

Marco sat around in a daze, his mind in a state of blissful ignorance. He had washed up and taken Star to a theme park on earth just as he suggested, and the day had been quite wonderful up until this point. Unfortunately, there was still some deep feeling lost within him that kept pulling him out of his enjoyment.

The rides were fun, the day was fun, he had lost all sense of dread over his silly little dream, yet he still felt restless. He just sat at one of the parks many outdoor tables and kept dipping the same french-fry into a pile ketchup repeatedly.

"Uhhhh, Marco? You think that fry has enough ketchup on it?" Star pointed to the soggy snack food.

Marco looked up and dropped the fry onto the table. "I uhm, yeah, sorry..." He stared down a bit continually lost in thought.

"Marcooo, what's wrong, huh? You were so happy this morning." She said to him.

"Nothing Star, I am fine... Really! I am just kinda shocked that we are here together like this, ya know? I guess I just have to keep reminding myself that this isn't a dream." He said and then took a sip of his soda.

Star gave him a pleasant smile and let out a gentle laugh. "I feel free now that I can express myself with the person I really care for." She reached over and placed her hand atop his, causing him to blush.

"Hey speaking of that," Marco grasped her hand lovingly into his. "It is getting darker out, so why don't we take a ride in the tunnel of love," Marco suggested. There was nothing like a beautiful night sky and an intimate ride with the person you love.

"Oh, well that does sound nice," Star said as she got up from her seat. "Why don't we take that ride and call it a night, we've been here all day, and I am kinda beat."

Marco happily rose up from his chair and offered his arm to her in a gentlemanly fashion. "Well of course m'lady," He said in a somewhat stoic manner.

Star let out a light giggle. "Well, you aren't a full-fledged Knight yet, Marco... or King rather..." She gave him a smirk.

Marco laughed nervously at the implication even though he enjoyed it and proceeded to take his place in the line of the ride with Star. There were dozens of happy couples awaiting their turn to experience some lovely private time with their significant other.

It didn't take long for the line to move, and the fiery glimmer of the theme park rides lit up the night in that unique way that exuded excitement. Marco and Star approached the operator who guided them into a swan-like boat, and then he buckled them in gently.

"You kids enjoy the ride!" He said enthusiastically.

"We will!" Marco and Star said simultaneously.

They sat close to one another and started to snuggle as they entered the artificially dark cavern. Pleasant music played, as the various love themed decorations either glowed in the dark or were barely visible at all. The ride went at a slow pace, and it didn't take long for Marco and Star to find each other's lips in the darkest part of the trip.

Kisses, snuggles, then a few gasps of passionate breaths, and repeat. They were getting as much as they could out of the pitch-black portion of the ride, but about halfway through Marco was hit with a deep sense of undetermined guilt. He broke off from Star and breathed heavily in the darkness. His heart pounding and the pleasant music becoming nothing more than erratic background noise.

"Is something wrong Marco?" He could make out Star's low voice over the noise.

"I... I don't know," Marco said, feeling uneasy.

There was no response from Star in the darkness, and he just blurted out the first thing that came to his mind.

"I... Tom... I just feel sad for some reason." He said.

There was no response from Star, and Marco began wondering if she was even still in the boat. His heart raced, and he started feeling that dread he had so recently forgotten.

....

....

....

He felt Star grip onto his hand tightly to the point it actually hurt, and he heard her let out a low laugh.

"Hah... Tom. Marco, we've been through this. I don't care about Tom. I never liked Tom. He, quite frankly, is garbage compared to you." Star's words were blunt and sounded pleasant, but it only made things feel worse. Marco became terrified and almost tried to pull his hand away, but instead, he just sat there praying that the ride would end soon.

"I... yeah... you're right Star. Tom is garbage. I never liked that guy." Marco lied.

Star let out a haunting giggle that raised over the ride's music.

"I'm glad you believe how much I love you, Marco." He felt her lean in and start to kiss his neck.

Marco winced, and the hairs on his back stood on end. He felt the boat turn and could see the precious end of the tunnel pouring light forth into the darkness. Salvation was near, and he just continued to play along until the ride came to its inevitable conclusion.

"Did you kids have fun?!" The same man said as Star and Marco emerged from the other end.

Marco looked at Star, who appeared just as happy and carefree as she did when she started the ride. Then he turned to the man to give his reply.

"It was... well, it was wonderful." He said halfheartedly.

"Glad you kids enjoyed." The man unbuckled the two and helped them out of the boat so that the next group of kids could get on and enjoy themselves.

Free from the ride Marco and Star made their way quietly to a private area so that Marco could use his dimensional scissors without too much hassle.

"I had a fun time tonight Marco," Star said while he cut the air.

Marco looked over and gave her a big smile. "So did I! Thanks for letting me take you." His voice was full of energy and happiness.

Star kept smiling at him, and Marco moved aside to allow her access to the portal. "Ladies first." He said.

She took his formal offer and entered, and then Marco followed suit, sealing the portal behind himself. Once they were comfortably on the other side, in the hallway containing Marco and Star's rooms, Marco let out a loud yawn.

"Man, I am beat!" He covered his mouth.

"You aren't the only one dear," Star said affectionately.

"Why don't we head to bed early tonight?" Marco suggested.

"What? Don't want me to come in and spend the night with you again?" Star boldly stepped forward and ran her fingers along his chest.

"I well uhm... I was thinking if we both just get some rest tonight, we will have more energy for kissing tomorrow night." He blushed embarrassedly having even said that.

Star gave a playful laugh. "That sounds fun," There was a slight teasing tone to her voice, and she leaned forward.

"But I need one for the road." She puckered her lips.

Marco shut his eyes and quickly kissed her. He could feel the warmth and wetness of them, and as soon as they were there, he pulled away.

"I-I love you Star," Marco said.

"I love you too Marco," Star replied happily and turned away to head to her room.

"I'll see you tomorrow," Marco said.

"See ya." She replied back as she disappeared down the dimly lit hall.

Marco turned quickly and entered his room. With a quick but gentle click, the door shut. He hurriedly moved his hand up to the golden latch that sat across the door's center crack, and with a quiet thrust barred the door from opening. He pressed his ear up against the door, and listened out into the hallway for Star, but could hear naught but the occasional autumn breeze as it brushed up against his window.

The howling from the wind only made his nerves more fragile, and he pulled his head away from the door while quietly standing in the darkness. He was stuck frozen in place as he let the dread consume him more and more. Over the past few days he found he couldn't trust his own recollection at all, but tonight, he knew that there was one thing that he could believe above all else.

.....

That was not Star.


	5. Urban Legend.

"Marco, please... Talk to me... Tell me what I've done wrong." Star's sad and almost crying voice quivered on the other end of his door.

"I... I thought... I don't..." Star became even more desperate as she tried to hold back a sob.

......

......

......

Marco arose from his spot on the bed, a place from which he had not moved for more than two days. His mind was blank, and he was struggling to understand why he was in such a depressed mood. A faint remembrance of something lost, but what or who he couldn't recall no matter how hard he tried.

He moved forward slowly until he reached his bedroom door, and he could hear Star lightly crying on the other end. Why was he putting her through so much? What sense did this all make? Everything seemed normal, yet he felt torn.

His hand slowly reached up and grabbed ahold of the golden latch, and with a quick slide, it clicked open. Once that was done, the door slowly opened, and a disheveled and unkempt Marco reunited with a red, puffy-cheeked Star.

"Uhhh.... hi..." Marco said weakly.

Star abruptly pushed forward into the room and wrapped her arms around his body. "I was so worried about you!" She cried out, as her tears wet his shirt. "I-I couldn't figure out what I did or why you wouldn't talk to me." She said in a pathetic, needy tone.

Marco blinked and stared blankly at her, searching his memory for the faintest of reasons as to why that could be. There was nothing there but the small feelings of loss and the residual pain that accompanied it.

"I... Well I..." Marco tried to speak and comfort Star. "I really don't know. I just feel really down, like something is missing or wrong."

Star pulled herself away from him and looked him over. "Well, your hoodie is missing. Could that be it?" She asked, unsure if losing it could cause such a drastic change in him.

"I..." Marco began, and then faint images of him, locking his door in fear returned. Why had he done that? "Maybe I am just overreacting. I am not used to Mewni like everyone else is around here." He rubbed the back of his head with his hand.

Star nodded. She may have been skeptical of his reasoning, but she was just happy to have him open the door and speak to her again. Both could remember the kisses of passion and pleasure they had experienced with one another, but all else felt hazy.

"Why don't you wash up and have breakfast with me?" Star suggested, trying to push him even further out of his self-imposed prison.

Marco felt unsure but found there wasn't much of a reason to decline. The past day or two was lost to him. Perhaps he had slept the entire time away in his low mood? It sounded reasonable, but he really couldn't explain his actions any more than Star could.

"Sure, Star. I-I will get cleaned up and join you for breakfast." He accepted the invitation.

Star smiled cutely and leaned in, kissing Marco on the cheek. "I can't live without you." She declared in a whisper.

Marco leaned back after the kiss with a blush on his face, and his heart started to pound quickly in his chest. Star gave him a small wave as she began to run down the hallway, leaving him to do as he said he was going to.

Marco hung his head low as he left his room and dragged his feet to the bath area with his spare clothes. He didn't feel or smell too good at the moment, but the reality was that he didn't care at all about such things at this present time.

"Why do I feel so weird? Why did I lock myself in my room? I feel like something is missing..." His thoughts repeated themselves in his head.

Even as Marco sat in the giant bath chamber alone, he could do naught but stare at the hot flowing water that he sat in.

"The warmth of the water..." He said aloud as he ran his hands through it.

"Who would be cold?" Marco said to himself as he listened to the faint voice in his head.

There was no answer to his question, but he lingered on it for the rest of his time in the bath.

Eventually, he pulled himself from the spa and redressed into his fresh, clean clothes. Perhaps his depression was a sign for him to visit home?

Maybe being here had made him homesick? He felt as though maybe Star was onto something about his hoodie; perhaps he should just get another one from his house and try to let things return to normal.

With a slight bit more resolve, Marco marched down the hallway to the dining area where Star waited for him with a sumptuous breakfast already on display. Her mother and father were not present, and it looked as if it were just going to be him and Star.

"Thanks for having breakfast put out while I was cleaning up." Marco thanked her politely and tried his hardest to be enthusiastic about it.

"Ohhhh it's no problem, Marco!" Star beamed as she took a seat directly across from him so that they could see each other while they ate and talked.

Marco began eating slowly at first, but as the minutes piled on, he realized just how hungry he was. Had he really not eaten for days? He was not sure at all but wagered a guess that that was the case.

Star leaned forward while he ate and seemed enamored and lovestruck with him. "I am so happy you came out of your room. I was about to blast through with my wand if you didn't come out soon."

Marco gave her a weak smile and wiped his mouth off with a napkin. "I really don't know what came over me Star... I think maybe you are right about my hoodie... I think maybe I just need to visit home, see my family, and get a new hoodie so I can feel right again."

Star smiled happily, hearing that he had a plan to return things to the way they used to be. "Well if that is what you need, I will let you do that today, but maybe after you have returned, we can go out and have a lovely dinner together."

Marco thought about it and smiled, but before he could answer her, he felt the strange need to ask her something. "Won't Tom be... well, you know... upset?"

Star immediately frowned, and seemed somewhat surprised that Marco had said what he did. "Tom? Who cares about Tom? He is not even nearly as close to me as you are."

Marco stopped his smile and stared at her while she flattered him. Her words felt normal to him, but his faint recollection of her previous behavior caused the statement to strike him as odd.

"Heh... Yeah, Tom's a jerk." Marco said halfheartedly as he took another bite of corncakes from his plate.

Star smiled once again. "He is worthless; I feel bad that I ever dated him instead of going right to you."

Her malicious words were making Marco feel awkward, and the fact that he wanted to enjoy what she was saying made him feel sick with himself.

"So, uh... what are you going to do while I visit home?" Marco changed the subject. He secretly didn't want her to follow him to earth, but it wasn't like he was going to inform her of that.

Star smiled and took a drink of her morning juice. "I figure now that things are turning back to normal, I can just hang out with Pony Head for a while until our evening date."

Marco nodded and gulped his own juice. He watched as Star got up to come around to the other side of the table and gave him a gentle kiss on the cheek. "Don't be gone too long, or else I might miss you too much."

Marco stood up and hugged her in return. "I'll only be a few hours..." He said and then sort of trailed off.

Star broke free of his embrace and made her way out of the dining area so that she could call Pony Head. Marco looked down at the table as the servants entered and started to clean the leftovers off of it. He let out a sigh and began to walk towards his room.

Home had to be what he needed... It must...

He was working himself up again and knew it, but the nagging feelings inside of him were even louder than they were before.

"That isn't like Star... Is it?"

Marco pushed open his bedroom doors as he stared at the messy bed and then shifted his focus to the fancy designer dresser at the other end. On top of it sat his dimensional scissors and he hastily made his way towards them.

"I need to get out of here." Marco thought as he started to slice the air and cut open a dimensional gateway to his homeworld.

Within an instant, he passed through and found himself in front of his own home. The decorative cacti and the beautiful neighborhood he had grown up in brought about instantaneous relief from the dazed and confused paranoia that kept creeping up onto him.

This was a place he knew, a place that seemed straightforward and authentic. Mewni had become something strange to him as of late, and his immediate sense of comfort here was making him realize that returning home was precisely what he needed to get his senses in order.

Marco made his way through the front door and could immediately see that the living room was empty. "Mom! Dad!" He called with anticipation. He was looking forward to their excessive doting and the good feelings that would come from it, but as he stood there, he quickly realized that nobody was coming.

"Not home?" He asked himself while he started to walk up the steps so that he could go to his room.

With every step he took, he was reminded of the seemingly distant memories he had while being here with Star, and it was creating a very uneasy and unnerving picture of the Star from this morning.

He reached the top of the steps and stood just before his room door. It was open just a crack, and he could tell that his parents had likely gone into his room while he was away.

With nothing more than a gentle push to the door, it opened with a creek and revealed a clean and tidy room. His parents had cleaned it in his absence, and he couldn't really complain about that at this moment, even if he preferred that they didn't move things from where he liked them put.

He gazed at his bed and then moved towards his closet where he kept his array of spare red hoodies. With a quick pull, the closet door opened and revealed his collection of signature top pieces. They were hung all neatly in a line except for the empty coat hanger at the end that belonged to the hoody he had lost.

He reached out so that he could take another, but his hand stopped just shy of it. His heart started to hurt, and he was wracked with an intense feeling of guilt.

"Where did it go?"

Marco's hand started to shake slightly as he could recall the feeling of overwhelming terror.

"Won't you be cold...?"

He kept his hand inches from the new hoodie.

....

........

..........

After a moment of pausing, he stopped and let his hand fall to his side. This wouldn't make him feel better, and he was sure of that now.

Marco frustratedly kicked his wall in anger and plopped down on the edge of his bed. He just stared at the sea of red hanging in his closet.

What would fix this? What would make him feel whole again? He sat there, lost in thought for almost an hour, until suddenly, the answer that filled him with hope and relief entered his mind.

"Find the lost hoodie...."

The answer was simple and right in front of his face, but it took almost all the mental fortitude he had to even think of it. The relief it brought him filled him with new resolve, and he shut the closet door as he stood up.

He had no idea where to look, but he defiantly knew that it had to be somewhere on Mewni. If he was sure he had it there, then that was the only place to start. Without wasting any more time, he cut open a new portal and decided he was going to look high and low for it.

Why something he had multiple copies of was so important to him, he couldn't figure out, but he knew that following your feelings was sometimes the best course of action when all else seemed ineffectual.

Marco couldn't wait and quickly leaped into the portal back to Mewni. He had not spent that much time at home, but with this new goal in mind, he was anxious to return and find what it is that he lost.

Once on the other side and back on Mewni, Marco immediately began his intense search. He looked throughout his castle bedroom, his dresser, under the bed, through the closet, but it didn't turn up at all. It was not as if Marco expected to find it here, but it was best to leave no stone unturned.

After tearing his room upside-down, he proceeded to check the hallway and anywhere that he might have been that he could recall. Spare rooms, stairwell, the dining area, the bathing area, he searched it all high and low.

Marco thought long and hard, and even though his mind seemed to be battling against him, he maintained hope that he would find it somewhere.

"It has to be here somewhere..." Marco said to himself. Where hadn't he looked? With a bit of thought, he realized he had yet to check Star's room.

"Yeah, maybe that's it!" Marco became excited for the first time in a long time.

He ran from where he was looking in the bathing area to Star's room. Once he got there, he knocked on her door. There was no answer on the other end, and this only caused Marco to knock harder.

"Star, are you in there? I-I think that I might've left my hoodie in your room." He sounded somewhat hesitant, but inside he felt dealing with Star's odd behavior was a bit too much for him at the moment. Even so, he was willing to risk it to find his missing hoodie.

A minute or two passed, and still, nobody answered. He put his hand on the handle of her door and quietly started to open it. Once the door was ajar enough so that he could peer inside, he could see her empty, unmade bed.

Marco didn't feel right about doing this, but he thought that searching her room was his last hope to find what he had lost. He carefully entered, trying not to make too much noise and proceeded to look about her bedroom.

Under her bed, atop her dresser, in her closet, he searched everywhere that he could that was not too intrusive, but still could not find his hoodie.

Marco was becoming extremely frustrated; no matter how hard he thought or tried to remember, he always felt like his mind was actively working against him.

He started to pace back and forth, struggling to recall, trying desperately to bring clearness to the fog. "Where is it? Where is it?!" His voice became loud despite his attempts to remain quiet.

He started to run his hands along his face and up to his hair, and he could feel the anger burning within him. He walked over to Star's window and placed the palms of his hands on the windowsill.

Marco could see the dark gray clouds that covered the sky, which painted a drab and dreary mood on the already stressful day. Things were feeling evermore hopeless for him, and part of him felt like he might cry. His heart was sinking even though he appeared to have everything that he ever wanted.

He stood there and gazed out Star's window for an extremely long time, just watching the people below live their lives. He looked back up from the city below, and his sight fixated on the forest set way off in the distance.

"The Forest of Certain Death..." Marco muttered. No matter what happened, or what he couldn't remember, this forest always managed to reenter his mind at some point.

What was so significant about such a terrible place? Marco really didn't know the answer, but he was starting to realize that perhaps his hoodie was there.

His mind could vaguely recall days prior when he and Star took a trip to that accursed place. Why did they go there? It surely couldn't have been for a picnic, and he was sure Star had no task or monster to fight.

Marco turned and quickly made his way out of Star's room, shutting her door behind him. Through the hallway, down the steps, and out the front gate, he went. Star was busy with Pony Head, so he had time to look.

He went out into the city and made his way through the busy streets. It was as if he was following the path of some residual memory, one long since forgotten. He made good time, and it didn't take long for him to get away from all the noise of Mewni's castle town.

He made his way along the dirt path that would inevitably lead to the forest, and without a second thought, he was determined to reach it. He kept his eyes on the ground to ensure that if he perhaps dropped his hoodie, he would see it lying about.

After an extended walk, Marco found himself in front of the dark and foreboding entrance of the Forest of Certain Death. It seemed haunting on this dark and dreary day, and it brought about an intense fear within him. He looked back and could see the castle off in the distance. He'd come so far, but was his hoodie really worth this kind of risk?

Marco balled his hands in the fasts; he couldn't let the forest intimidate him. If finding what he lost would turn things back to normal, then so be it.

He stepped hesitantly into the forest and was greeted to something hauntingly beautiful. All the trees were twisted and dead, yet they had shed their beautiful golden-hued leaves to the ground, covering the area with more color than he'd ever seen.

Marco was amazed to see the number of leaves that lay stacked all across the path. He started to search his pocket with his hand, and he could feel the dimensional scissors residing within. He knew that so long as he had them, he didn't have to worry about finding his way home.

He started to walk across the leaves as his shoes created a sharp crunching sound with every step. At first, he was scared that the noise he was making would attract some beast or monster that might lurk within, but as the minutes went by, he quickly lost focus on that.

He kept his eyes peeled for any hints of red that might indicate his hoodie was buried by leaves. Everything was feeling familiar, and he was starting to have déjà vu as if he was reliving something he'd already done.

After about an hour of wandering in a straight path, Marco could hear the sounds and rumblings of thunder overhead. His heart started to race, and even though everything was quiet, the storm signaled to him something malevolent.

"What am I doing here? This is crazy and dangerous." Marco started to grasp the scissors in his pocket and was contemplating leaving here and now. The hoodie couldn't be this important, nothing like that could be worth risking one's life over.

"Won't you be cold?" These words echoed in his mind the second he thought of fleeing.

The grip on his scissors lessened, and he stared down the claustrophobic path of twisted, dead, smooshed together trees.

"No... I can't-I can't... I need to find..." Marco held his forehead with his hand and started to move forward, crunching the leaves just as he did before, the sounds of thunder growing ever louder the longer he walked.

After about 20 minutes the light sprinkle of rain began to spray his face, and he found himself in a clearing. It was a place that felt so familiar that it made him sick to his stomach, it sent chills through his body, and it made him feel as if he was in immediate peril.

He gazed around the opening as the flashes of thunder started, and the rain turned to a torrential downpour, drenching his hair the longer he stood there.

His heart was pounding against his chest, and he started to breathe slowly. There were piles of leaves stacked very high throughout the clearing, and the ground was empty save for the endless sea of colorful leaves being drenched by the falling rain.

This was the place; Marco could feel it in his soul. For whatever reason he knew what he sought was here. He walked about the clearing examining the piles of leaves, it was nothing but leaves, upon leaves, upon leaves.

Marco used his shoe and started to kick the foliage from the ground aside. Crack, snap, rustle. The sounds could barely be heard over the roaring thunderstorm that was kicking up.

Marco was aware that he shouldn't be here any longer, but he couldn't tear himself away from the task that he set. He pushed aside giant piles and did everything in his power to make sure he didn't miss anything. His hair was so soaked that it was dripping, and his clothes were saggy, completely waterlogged.

CRASH!

BAM!

The storm roared, and the wind howled. It was as if the forest had come alive and was trying to intimidate him. He'd been there for over an hour searching aimlessly for something that might not even be there.

Marco grabbed onto his scissors and pulled them out of his pocket. He was becoming too frightened and too overwhelmed with everything. It was time to give up and just accept that this is how things were. It would pass on its own.

He walked a short way and held out his hand so that he could cut a portal home, that is until he stepped on a rather large rock hidden beneath the leaves. It offset his balance, and he fell forward painfully twisting his ankle.

"AHH!" Marco screamed. He fell forward, nearly stabbing himself with his own scissors before they went flying out of his hand from the sudden impact.

He lay on the ground dazed for a second, and then he quickly realized that he lost his scissors during the fall.

"No!" He yelled in a panic as he started to tear the leaves up from the ground.

"This can't be happening; I can't lose them!" He yelled even louder as the thunder roared over him.

His wet hands traversed the endless sea of soggy leaves as he tossed handfuls to the side, desperately looking for his lost scissors. He was genuinely terrified now and knew that he was in a world of trouble if he couldn't find them.

His hands glided along the pile of leaves he tripped over, and he could feel the object that he had twisted his ankle on. He became angry and quickly grabbed hold of it with both of his hands. He intended to throw it in his panic induced rage.

"Rrrr..." He growled.

Once he pulled it free from the leaves, he quickly discovered it was not a rock like he'd expected, but instead a pink boot. Marco held onto it, staring at it. The world and storm around him seemingly melted away as he became lost in his own head, his own memories.

"But won't you be cold?"

"Nah, I am used to colder weather than this, besides. I owe you for dragging you out into these woods."

...

"Dragging you out into these woods."

....

"These woods..." Marco said in barely a whisper.

His eyes widened as the full context of the words came to him. He remembered that it was not the hoodie he was looking for but the person wearing it. He had no idea who that person was, what they looked like, or even what gender they were.

If he had to take a guess, by the looks of the boot, it was someone feminine. He clenched the boot tightly in his hands and pressed it against his chest. He was racked with sorrow that he couldn't remember who this person was. Did they really mean so little to him that he would outright forget them in their time of need?

Marco placed the boot on the ground next to him and vehemently searched for his scissors along the ground. After about several minutes of searching through the pouring rain, he happened upon them as they lie on top of a pile of leaves. He grabbed them quickly and held them up as if they were some sort of sword, and he immediately felt a great sense of relief having found them.

He took one look around the darkening forest and could barely see anything through the pouring rain and absence of daylight. Thunder crashed and roared while lightning flashed, and Marco knew that it was time to go. With his free hand, he picked up the discarded boot and with his other hand he stabbed at the air, creating a bright and glowing rift.

He quickly leaped through it, not wanting to give the forest a chance to harm him. Once on the other side, he found himself in his room. He was sopping wet and dripping onto the plush carpeting. The room was dark due to the late evening and heavy storm, so he immediately lit a candle to give him the ability to see.

He placed the dirty pink boot on the top of his dresser so that he could see it clearly in the light of the candle. He just stood in place and stared at it intently, trying to piece together more of his fragmented memories.

The boot triggered within him a familiarity that had been hidden behind an amnesia-like state. He felt now that this was by design, and it scared him horribly. What would want him to forget, and why was he still able to remember if that were true?

Star was different; her mother and father were different; everyone he was close to felt different. No matter what, he knew he couldn't trust them, but he recognized that he needed help greater than himself. He knew his forgetfulness would persist and that he needed to get help before all was lost.

Star was waiting for him to have an evening meal with her, but he couldn't care less about that. Marco thought hard, probably harder than he ever had in his life, and as he did so, the options for help or guidance grew slimmer.

With options dwindling Marco found that only one name kept entering his head, but it seemed like an outright foolish thing to do.

Was he really considering this?

What choice did he really have?

If anything, she was a neutral party to this affair...

Marco started to walk out the door without even bothering to dry off or change his clothes. He wandered down the hall to the familiar stairs, but instead of going down like he always did, he went up.

He was determined to get help before his mind went hazy again, even if it meant striking a deal with the devil. He ascended the tower quietly allowing the shuffling of his shoes to echo through the dark corridor illuminated by faint flames.

Eventually, he reached the top of the steps and was greeted by a barred wooden door and two guards standing on either side of it.

The two soldiers looked at Marco curiously as they were not used to having any visitors other than Princess Star or Queen Moon.

"Hold there lad, why have you wandered up here?" The soldier on the left side of the door asked him.

"Yeah, what business do you have here?" The soldier on the right followed up.

Marco thought for a moment and placed his arms across his chest. The water lightly dripping from him and creating a small puddle on the floor at his feet.

"I... Um... Well, I-I was tasked with interrogating Eclipsa." Marco tried to sound brave.

The two soldiers looked at one another, and they couldn't help but smirk and giggle at his statement.

"You? Ha ha! That's rich kid! You have floors that need cleaning, don't you?" The soldier on the right mocked him.

"Yeah, you have no business talking with the prisoner. Only those in the royal family may speak to her." The soldier on the left said as he tapped the butt of his spear on the stones that made up the ground.

Marco held out his hands, feeling desperation take hold of him. "Please! This isn't a joke; I need to talk to Eclipsa. The royal princess Star asked me to interrogate her."

The two guards laughed even harder, and they shook their head. "Sorry kid, we don't believe you."

Marco hated being mocked, and he realized he needed the bluff with confidence if he was going to achieve his goal of seeking help from her. "I am the princesses' royal knight, Marco Diaz. Not allowing me through will only look bad on you."

The two soldiers looked at one another and seemed less amused by his declaration.

"So, you are Marco Diaz?" The soldier on the right paused. "You're the one princess has been going on about for the past several days to everyone."

The soldier on the right looked down at the floor and just shook his head. "I would say you're more than her 'knight,' she seems wholly infatuated with you. If she really tasked you with coming up here, then it must be important."

The two soldiers moved to the side, and the one on the right brandished a golden key. He stuck it into the lock and unlocked the door for Marco. "You may enter, but I've got my eye on you boy, princesses' knight or no."

Marco just nodded in silence and walked in-between the two guards. He placed his hand on the door handle, and with a push, he opened it. He could immediately see Eclipsa sitting there on a decorative piece of furniture. She was staring right at him and had a smile about her face as Marco entered and shut the door behind himself.

Marco didn't say anything as he walked towards her and Eclipsa just stared back at him. Her presence was intimidating to him, more so than he'd anticipated.

Now that he was here out of sheer desperation, he had no idea what he wanted to say to her. He really didn't even know what he needed from her, but he felt deep down that she was the only one that could help him somehow.

"I... Um..." Marco began to speak but was interrupted by Eclipsa.

"Oh... Marco was it? I've heard about you from Star, we haven't had the chance to meet, but I suppose that is to be expected." She spoke in a dignified and polite manner.

"I... Well, yeah I am Marco but..." He struggled to find the words that he needed.

Eclipsa just looked at him, and she had to wonder why he was here drenched as he was, seeking to speak to her of all people. She was adept at understanding what other people needed or wanted, but this was quite mystifying.

"Well, Marco, what is it that I can do for you?" Eclipsa put her hands on her dress and patiently waited for Marco to express himself through words.

Marco thought for a second, and that second turned into a minute, and then that minute turned to 10. There was no conversing, and neither of them did anything but silently look at one another. After so much time went by, Marco eventually said the only thing that he could think of.

"I'm so sorry... I didn't mean to disturb you... I just... I don't know." He buried his face into his hands.

Eclipsa stared at the troubled boy and could see that he was desperately seeking help. "Well, it's no trouble at all, it's not like I have visitors all that often, so speak about whatever you wish." She reassured him.

Marco took in a deep breath and then eventually asked about the one thing that was repeatedly on his mind these past few days. "Can you tell me about the Forest of Certain Death?"

"The Forest of Certain Death?" Eclipsa sounded confused, of all the things she expected him to say, this was not one of them.

"Yeah, the Forest of Certain Death. I really need to know about it... Where did it come from? Is there anything really hazardous that lurks there? What happens if you lose something in it?" Marco responded more easily now that he was finding his footing in the conversation.

Eclipsa thought for a moment. "There are many legends about the origin of the forest, and as you know, the forest is home to many vicious beasts and monsters. It is tough to answer that question in a way that would satisfy you."

Marco placed his hands on his wet jeans and started to rub his palms against them. "Isn't there anything you could tell me... Please?"

She could see that Marco really needed this, but there were no facts to give that she was aware of. "I..." She started to speak, but then she stopped as if she remembered something. "Well, there are old wives tales and urban legends that have been around since before I was born. "

Marco kept his gaze fixated on Eclipsa as he felt hope rise within him. "Anything is good; I just want to know more about that place."

"Well, there is a pervasive and long-lasting legend that has been used to keep children from entering the forest," Eclipsa stated, recalling the most famous myth.

"Legend?" Marco said, intrigued.

"Why yes, there was a legend about a monstrous witch that resides within the darkness of the forest. She is a malevolent and vengeful force that seeks to steal the essence of children, or so the legend goes..." Eclipsa said.

Marco could feel his blood running cold as the thunder rumbled from outside the tower, and the rain smacked against the window. He was already in a weak state of mind, and this kind of thing was making his imagination run wild.

"A witch? I've never heard Star mention such a thing." Marco stated.

"Oh, well, it is a well-known legend around here, but the children of Mewni and magic users like Star disregard it as nothing more than superstition these days," Eclipsa said.

"Why there even used to be an old rhyme that the children would recite about the witch of the wood to scare one another." Eclipsa paused briefly. "Now how did that go?"

...

"Ah, I think I remember..." She said as she cleared her throat.

"Stay away from the dark of the wood.

I tell you this for your own good.

Don't heed the warning and disobey.

You'll fail to live another day.

She's stalking now so feel the fear.

She comes for the soul that you hold dear.

The witch of the wood will seal your fate.

If you've entered her home, it's already too late." Eclipsa recited the children's poem from her memory.

After hearing the rhyme, Marco was particularly unsettled. His imagination was running wild with the knowledge that there was a potential answer to the strange goings-on.

"I... If This is all antiquated superstition, then how do you recall so much about it?" Marco asked, trying to maintain what little skepticism he had left.

Eclipsa just smiled at him and responded. "Well, given the fact that I was a member of the royal family, I have access to much of the history of Mewni in the now defunct royal storage archive. Even though more modern citizens have largely unconcerned themselves with this myth. There are texts that tell more of the story beyond just the silly rhyme."

Marco sat in silence, contemplating what he had just learned. Part of him wondered if in his desperation, he was looking for anything to make sense of what he thought was going on. He kept thinking he was crazy, and he sure had to be mad if he was making up reality to fit this narrative.

Eclipsa just looked at him and could tell that he was thinking hard about the legend he was just told. Perhaps that's what he'd come to learn, but why that would have any relevance, especially now, was lost on her.

"How would I get access to these texts?" Marco asked her in a low tone. The sounds of thunder roared, and lightning flashed across his face.

Eclipsa had a gander out at the storm through the window. She sat silently for a minute as if contemplating whether or not she should tell him. He wasn't royalty, but he seemed earnest in his desire to learn about this. "If you head down to the lowest level of the castle, that is where all the previous monarchy's text, books, records, and informative documents were stored. However, I suppose I should tell you that it has been sealed off for more than three centuries."

Marco blinked. "Three centuries? Then how did you get access to it?"

Eclipsa just giggled slightly as if reminiscing about old memories and then answered. "I was a mischievous little girl once, you know. Going place that I shouldn't be and all that. Just because it is sealed off doesn't mean it is impossible to reach."

"But how?" Marco said frustratedly, as he tried to keep his voice low so that the guards outside the door wouldn't hear.

Eclipsa thought for a second and then nodded. "Well, I am sure somebody as resourceful as you can find a way in..." She stopped and then turned her attention away from Marco. "All you need to know from me is that the china cabinet seems out of place."

Marco didn't quite understand what she meant and felt somewhat annoyed that she just wouldn't outright tell him, but from what he gathered by talking to her in this short time, was that she was a woman of many secrets.

He stood up after hearing all he was sure she was going to tell him. Even if this was all nonsense, it was the only thing he had to latch onto. He was so afraid of forgetting once again, that he was going to go straight down there and look for the sealed archive.

"Thanks... Eclipsa..." Marco said to her.

Eclipsa just gave a polite smile and a small wave. "Do drop by again, Marco."

Marco walked out the door just as the sound of thunder roared once more. The two guards looked at him the second he exited.

"Did you find out what you needed for the princess?" The guard on the right asked.

Marco just nodded to the question and sauntered his way down the steps. He could hear the sound of the door latching as it echoed through the stone tower.

He wasn't sure if Eclipsa could be trusted, but he felt the only reason he went to her was that he couldn't trust anybody else.

He didn't know what he was going to find this evening, but he hoped above all else, he would finish before Star came looking for him.


	6. Ominous Night.

Marco walked along the dark corridor with naught but a candle in his left hand. The small light illuminated his way as he traversed down the seldom-used hallway that was located in the lower levels of the castle. It was exceedingly dark compared to everywhere else, and the flickering light cast shadows upon the wall with every movement he made.

His eyes glanced around, and he could see decorative paintings, furniture, and a slew of cabinets that furnished the long hall. The distance of the hallway was obscured by darkness, and he could not see anything that wasn't within the candle's reach.

His eyes kept track of all the ornate objects along the way, but nothing about any of them stood out to him. There were quite a few cabinets, and a few of them had decorative ornaments and trinkets encased in glass.

"Man... This is nuts..." Marco whispered to himself with a sigh.

He was wandering about, hiding every action as if his friends were his enemies, and he couldn't even recall why. The world was so jumbled to him at this point he was practically praying this was some lucid nightmare he was having.

One step.

Two steps.

Three steps.

Four steps.

His feet seemingly dragged the further he went, and inevitably, he found himself wanting to retreat. He honestly might have if he hadn't noticed that about halfway through his journey, there was something out of place that caught his attention.

Marco stopped and began to examine a sizeable decorative cabinet placed neatly against the stone wall. He held his candle close to it and could see the illustrious shine of polished antique china. The elegant plates and dishes that looked to be worth a fortune, like many other things in this castle. However, this was the only shelf he'd seen along the way that had dishes, and why would fancy dishes be displayed in here rather than the dining room?

After about 10 minutes of examination and pondering if he had lost his mind, he placed the candle holder on the cabinet shelf and tried to move the giant piece of furniture with his strength. The solid wooden piece failed to budge an inch.

"Jeez..." Marco said with a huff as he stopped and wiped the sweat off his brow.

Perhaps there was some mechanism? He ran his hands along the sides and cervices of the cabinet but found no such thing. The light of the candle made the dishes shine, and Marco started to run his fingers delicately alone the expensive china.

Marco still found nothing and was beginning to feel disheartened. He placed his hands in the small space in the back of the cabinet and could feel naught but the solid wall behind it.

"This is hopeless!" Marco became loud with anger and kicked the cabinet with his shoe. A loud banging sound echoed through the abandoned hallway, and he immediately covered his mouth with his hands.

"....."

He grabbed his candle and started searching left and right down either way of the wall, and could tell that there was still nobody around.

**BAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!**

A deafening explosion of thunder rang out through the lower halls, almost making Marco drop his candle from being startled.

"....."

It took a minute or two of calm breathing to make Marco calm down, but when he did, he decided that he was going to do what he should have thought to do from the beginning. He reached into his wet jeans pocket and pulled out his trusty scissors once again, only this time, he held them out above his head and concentrated hard on the cabinet.

SWISH!

The magical scissors cut through the air and opened a portal in front of himself. It was nothing more than a shallow rift cutting through the barrier that inhibited him so that he could gander at the other side. It was pitch black, but it was evident that something was located there.

Marco reached his hand out, poking the candle holder through the portal to the other side of the wall, and he could see immediately there was an old, dilapidated set of stairs leading to more darkness.

He put his feet through, and once his entire form reached the other side of the wall, the portal closed. He turned briefly to look behind himself and could see that without some magical trinket or power, nobody could pass through such solid stone.

He turned back to look at the old set of stone steps and could feel a draft kicking up from the lower levels that sent him into a shiver. The place smelled just as old as it appeared to be, and the sounds of dripping and flowing water could be heard echoing through the darkness below. His eyes shifted from left to right, and he stared down at his next test of sanity and courage.

Marco was extremely hesitant to press forward even at this stage, and he began to feel terror at the thought of his memory loss kicking in while wandering around this seemingly ominous place. Nobody knew he was here and if he forgot why he was here or where he was, then he might wind up in a perilous predicament.

Why he felt he couldn't trust Star or anybody around him made him feel shame, but if the things he'd heard from Eclipsa were based in any truth, then he'd wager he was making the right choice if he were to move forward.

"Come on Marco... Don't lose your nerve..." He encouraged himself quietly. It was so dead silent down here that even his whisper echoes mixed with the sounds of running water.

He began to move forward with the candle shaking roughly in his hand, and as he went, the unsteady flickering of the dim light grew far worse. His shoes ground against the worn stone and sand that sat atop the damaged stairs, creating a noise that sounded unnaturally loud when contrasted with the eerie atmosphere.

It only took a moment of slow walking for Marco to reach the bottom of the steps, and the second he stepped off them, his feet were submerged up to his ankles in water.

"Whoah... what the...?" He called in surprise, due to the poor light, and the unexpectedness of this.

He lowered his candle downward and gazed at the floor, and could see the muddy and disgusting looking water that had flooded the entire area. Marco went forward, making splashes with each movement, and once he reached the other side of the room, he could make out the sounds of falling water from the depths of another long straightaway.

Unlit torches hung on the walls, long since snuffed out, and Marco wondered if there was the possibility of lighting any of them to give him a much-needed respite from the shadows.

He moved down the decrepit hallway feeling torches as he went. A lot of them were soaked or damp, but about halfway through, he found a torch that seemed relatively dry compared to the others. He placed his candle under it in hopes that it would ignite.

**BAM!!!**

**CRASH!!!**

The rumbling of mighty thunder echoed through the hidden hall. Marco jumped slightly and nearly dropped his only light source into the water. He took a deep breath to calm his nerves again and continued attempting to light the torch. After several more seconds passed the torch caught fire, and started to burn violently on the wall, casting its bright beams of light through the otherwise dead hallway.

With the torch lit, Marco looked behind himself, he could not see the steps he had left in the unlit area, but could now see the immediate hall around himself. He looked further down the hall and could see the severe damage to the ceiling. Water poured forth from moderately large cracks in it, and much of it was also running down the moss-covered stone walls.

He could immediately see what a deathtrap this place was, and as he thought and mapped the castle out in his head. He wasn't sure what occurred.

"Was it the moat...?" He peered down at the foul-smelling water and the cracks that leaked it into this place.

He guessed that some water source had revealed itself too close to this subterranean wing of the castle at some point. He wasn't sure if it was due to oversight or incompetence, but whatever the reason things didn't work out the way they had hoped.

Eclipsa had not mentioned how immediately dangerous this place was and he began to grow suspicious of her just as he was of everybody else. It wasn't like Eclipsa had any good reputation on Mewni or anything, and he was just desperate for resolution.

Marco peered down the perilous hallway for what felt like ages, and every time he wanted to turn back, he had the opposite desire to get to the bottom of this. The conflict was endless, but at some point, Marco reasoned that if danger were to befall him, he had his scissors, and that thought alone was enough to sustain him on his quest.

With a nervous breath and a lot of reservations, Marco braved on. He splashed further down the hallway and eventually found himself at a small set of underwater stairs, just barely visible in the reach of the mighty torch.

Marco stopped briefly and then started to maneuver down the steps carefully and slowly. The further down he went, the more submerged he became until the gross water was up this his waist. The coldness of an autumn draft hit him as he entered this drab and dreary place, and Marco shivered while wrapping his free hand around himself.

He'd come so far and was halfway submerged in god only knows what. He wadded forward towards the middle of the room so that he could illuminate it nicely with his candle. Once there, he could see a plethora of old wooden tables set in the center of the room their tops were just barely above the flood line. Surrounding him were wall-to-wall shelves in various states of disrepair and submersion, they contained an endless array of moldering and water damaged books.

Marco moved his candle over to the left and could see a massive receptionist desk that sat well above the flood line, and it had a tome so thick atop it that it made Star's spell book look anemic.

"Man... What is that?" He said.

He was immediately drawn to the book and wasted no time in splashing over to examine it. He hovered the candle above it and took in a deep breath, then blew out as hard as he could. The dust that had settled on top of it flew up into the air and danced around the flickering flame he held. He let out a few coughs as he breathed in the old dirt and grime he had just kicked up.

"Ah... Geez, this place is too much." Marco commented in between his fit of coughs.

After a second, Marco looked down so that he could examine the open tome. It became readily apparent that this book was an index of all the other books here. They were all listed by name, by shelf, and in alphabetical order. With this, Marco had a tool in helping him find what he desired to see.

He thought up words and phrases that could potentially help him and started to flip through the enormous book.

"Let's see... A.... B... C... D.... L... M... N... O...." Marco said what he was thinking aloud. His finger went along the different names of books, taking note of the ones that caught his eye. There were thousands listed, but he knew time was not on his side.

"Dark Legends of Mewni."

"Mewman History."

"Myths and Mewman Lore."

"Mewni: Through the Ages."

They seemed like the best places to start. Marco went about noting the particular shelves these books were supposed to be on and then went to search the water and mold-ridden shelves located all around the dark flooded room. Almost all of the spines were difficult to read, and many of the books were in such a state of disrepair that it left them illegible.

Of the books he noted he could only find two that weren't wholly submerged and lost, 'Mewman History,' and 'Dark Legends of Mewni.' Two was better than none he supposed, so Marco quickly brought them to one of the dirty tables that were still mostly dry on top and plopped books on top of it. He placed the candle on the table so that they could be easily read in the little light it provided.

Dark Legends of Mewni...

As soon as Marco opened to a random page of the book, it was readily apparent that it was almost illegible. The pages had sustained severe water damage, and it was covered in mold, what could be read required quite the effort on Marco's part.

"- _nd- -- t--- ------ for in the y--- that Mewni foun—it's greatest en---._

_-he m—st--- have l------ been a nef----- ----- -o tho-e res--ing in -ew--, --- o-- ---h mon---- --- ---d -- be g----- -i-- --- ----- -- magic, --- ---d it to cause -es--u----- a-- ----em to tho-- residing in th- -ity._

_\------------------"_

He could barely make sense of any of it, and the rest of the page was completely wiped clean of text. He felt frustrated and slammed the book shut without even bothering to try and read its contents.

Was this a fool's errand? He was so desperate for answers that he had hauled himself down to a long since forgotten flooded storage space, with books that would probably tell him nothing of any value.

Marco had come this far and decided if he was willing to go up to this point with everything; the least he could do was check out the second book.

Mewman History...

When Marco opened the cover of the book, he could tell that it was in much better condition than the last. The words were clear and legible for the most part, despite suffering some of the same damage the other book did.

"It _was on this day, that Mewni had come to celebrate the use of corn in all its forms. Without its many practical uses and flexibility as an ingredient, Mewman society might never have come to be as we know it today. Many believe that this wonderful crop is a gift handed down from the gods. The Mewman celebration of corn dates back several centuries..."_

" _The festival of corn has not evolved much since then..."_

............

Marco let out a sigh as he read the dry, tedious text about Mewni's infatuation with corn. Apparently, this book was more for educational purposes, delving into facts and dates that were pertinent to know for any student of history.

He flipped through the book but found everything it talked about to be just as dry and dull as the first passage he'd skimmed. He slammed the book shut in anger as dust kicked up when he did so, he put his hands over his face and just listened to the rumbling of the storm as it created echoes through the deserted place.

Marco had wasted his time, and he felt like a complete idiot. Why did he ever think that he would find his answers like this? He lowered his hands and looked down at the dirty, disgusting table. He could see several books untouched by water that had been left sitting on it, covered in layers of dust.

"Mewni Commerce..."

"Wild, Wondrous, Magical Pets..."

"The Royal Lineage: A Comprehensive History of Mewni's Monarchy..."

"Fairytales of Mewni..."

Marco stopped reading when he reached that last book, and he thought back to the conversation he had with Eclipsa. She mentioned that it was a legend that children used to tell one another and that the rhyme was meant to scare children off from the forest.

He grabbed hold of the book and slid it in front of himself. The outside was completely torn, and it smelled of mold and dirt, but he wouldn't let that deter him as he flipped it open to have a peek.

When he did, he could see a legible index with page numbers so that one could quickly go to the fairytale that they wished to read.

" _The Corn Fairy... Page 1._

_The Knight and his Princess... Page 7._

_The Stump... Page 18._

_The Sorceress' Apprentice... Page 27._

_Beginnings... Page. 32_

_The Witch's Fall... Page 42."_

............

Marco stopped reading the index once he saw the word 'witch' and immediately turned to page 42. The first thing he saw when he got there was a crude, black and white illustration of a knight clad in armor, holding up his shield. Alongside him was a ghastly looking creature that could only be described as an amorphous blob of black ink. It looked as if the creature were made from the absence of light itself.

He was shocked to see clear and vivid illustrations in the book, he knew it was a children's book, so this was not out of the ordinary, but the fact that the pictures stood the test of time in this place surprised him. He looked to the side of the image and began to read the short text that accompanied it.

" _The nefarious and fell witch of the wood had used her powerful magic to terrorize the city of Mewni. The monarch, mages, and royal guards were all helpless against the monster's incredible power. That is until a young knight single-handedly challenged her to battle."_

Marco turned the page and was greeted by another illustration. One was the knight holding up his blade and pointing it towards the evil creature. The formless monster had its claw-like appendage pointing out, and it appeared to be casting beams of magic towards the warrior.

" _The battle was fierce, and the two fought with each other in an endurance match of wills. Her potent magic had reduced the kingdom to rubble and slain the most powerful of mages, but the lone knight fought on against the insurmountable odds."_

Marco turned the page and was greeted with an illustration of the monster standing over the knight menacingly. He was depicted as losing and having fallen to his knees before the entity, clenching his armored chest in agony.

" _The witch's power was proving too great, and she mortally wounded the brave soul who dared attempt to stand against her. All of Mewni depended on his success, and it was beginning to seem as if all was lost."_

Marco turned the page again and could see an illustration of the knight standing up on his two feet and brandishing a wand that did not look dissimilar to the kind that Star wielded. Beams of energy were shooting forth from it and encapsulating the living shadow in a barrier.

" _The tide of battle turned when the great hero outsmarted the beast and brandished the wand of monarchs. With it, he was able to utilize all the power that he had, and concentrated it into vanquishing the evil monstrosity_."

Marco quickly turned the page, and the final illustration was of the witch imprisoned in endless blackness, lost forever in a realm of darkness.

" _Mewni had been saved and the monster banished to the realm of shadows. Her form gone, but her presence not forgotten. Her evil, twisted magic had corrupted the once beautiful forest of Mewni, and it is through these woods that her omnipresence is forever felt_."

Marco could feel his body shivering, and his heart began racing when he read the last line. Such a simple tale that seemed to be written solely to entertain and scare children, yet, he wanted to believe it was all true. A draft blew through the room, and the candle began to flicker violently, causing the flame to snuff out.

Marco started to hastily look around himself, for fear had fully taken hold of him. He felt extremely vulnerable down here, and after his candle blew out, the paranoia sank in. His imagination was acting up, and it was as if something unseen was watching him while he sat in this forgotten place.

He stood up and looked towards his only source of light left in this watery tomb, the torch that was still lit in the hallway. It's light barely touched the center room, but it illuminated everything just enough that he knew which way to go. He quickly grabbed onto the book that he had just finished reading passages from and clenched it tightly under his arm.

He moved a few steps in the water, causing it to slosh around him with every movement. He really wanted to get to that torch so that he could feel safe, but the nearer he drew to reaching the incline that would take him back up to the hallway, the higher his dread increased.

The slight sounds of falling rocks splashing in the water started to echo through the hall he was going towards. Marco paused to listen out of sheer confusion, and after a few more seconds, he could hear the sounds of cracking followed by the sounds of gushing water.

"Oh, no!" Marco yelled in a panic as he jumped up the steps that lie beneath the water.

Once he could see down the hall, he could see that the roof had started to collapse in, and the water began pouring in from the broken roof at a rapid pace. He was frozen in place while he watched even more rocks fall, and then the torch that sat on the wall was doused by the torrent of water.

The whole place went black in an instant, and there was absolutely no light to see anything around himself. Marco could only hear the sound of water as it gushed in at an unfathomable pace, and he could feel the water was rising rapidly up his legs.

He could no longer hear the rocks or ceiling breaking, but he could still hear ominous splashes in the darkness that didn't coincide with the running water. He started to become even more lost in his fear as he wasn't exactly sure what beasts or creatures might lurk above.

Marco turned around quickly and started to move in the opposite direction that the sounds were coming from. He was so blind to the things around himself that he nearly fell down the underwater steps. He luckily caught himself before entirely falling to the point of being submerged, but the water level was steadily rising with each passing minute. When Marco regained his balance and stood straight, he was startled to find that the water had risen from his waist to above his stomach.

He held the book with his left hand up above his head and swore he could hear the sounds of rapid splashing and disturbing noises in the distance behind him as he moved. He stammered forward trying desperately to find his bearings and keep the book from getting destroyed or lost.

He turned left then right and was in fight or flight mode the more the noises drew nearer to him. Marco was unable to think logically about what to do at the moment, and he was reasonably sure he had more to worry about than the flooding room.

The sounds of swimming and fierce splashing were now feet behind him, and he had proof positive that there were other things in the room with him now. He thrust his hands about, desperately looking for the table that he had just been standing at earlier, in hopes that he could use it to buy him more time to think.

After several seconds of panicking and sloshing about, he walked into the table he was looking for and immediately placed his right hand on top of it. He could feel that it was already wholly submerged under the rising water, but given his current predicament, he didn't care too much.

Marco used his free hand to push himself upwards and used his knees to stabilize himself on the table. He then stood up on top of it and could feel that the water was now only about up to his knees.

"Come on, Marco, stay calm, don't let panic take hold of you. You'll be okay." He reminded himself while the splashing continued to draw closer.

After a few seconds of mental stability, he recognized that he had the perfect answer with him all along. He used his free hand to reach into the pocket of his soaked jeans, and he pulled out his scissors, making sure that there was no possibility he could drop them.

He concentrated hard on the only room in the castle that he felt safe, his room. With a quick slide through the air, a portal tore open and illuminated the small space around it. Marco could now see just how bad the flooding had gotten, and he could see that there was some sort of giant creature lurking in the water by the side of the table.

Marco froze in place as the leech-like entity slithered along the top of the water, moving slowly as it searched for its prey, he didn't know what it was, but he was sure it knew he was there.

He moved one step towards the portal, and the splashing of his foot caused the creature to dart forward with a fierce leap up from the water, it's gaping maw filled with dozens of razor-sharp teeth emerged and attempted to bite at Marco's leg.

"AHHHH!" He screamed, terrified.

The creature was almost as big as Marco, and it seemed extremely adept at finding prey even in the absence of light. Marco let out another panicked yell and moved his foot quickly to dash for the portal.

The creature moved its eyeless maw towards the source of the sound and attempted to bite more ferociously than the last time. Marco stopped to dodge the series of powerful bites, but the force of one of the attacks shook the table when the creature latched onto it.

"N-no!" Marco tried to keep his balance.

The creature, with its mouth finally full of something, began to shake violently in its attempt to tear it to pieces. Marco shook back and forth and realized that he couldn't make it to the portal in the way he had planned. With one last thought, he decided to toss the book of fairytales through, recognizing that if that got destroyed all was for naught.

The creature shook so hard and eventually tore off a giant piece of the table, causing it to collapse in its entirety. Marco immediately fell with it and went tumbling into the water scissors and all. He freaked out, realizing that he was now completely underwater and utterly vulnerable to whatever that monstrosity was. He couldn't see anything, but he knew that the creature had to be coming.

He quickly scrambled in any direction that he could, and he felt the creature bump into him as it swam by his leg. He wasn't sure if the creature's mouth was still full of wood or if it had missed him in its attempt to bite his leg again.

Marco didn't want to think too hard about it, so he put his feet to what he perceived to be the floor and pushed as hard as he could upward. He went shooting up, and his head burst out of the dirty, disgusting water like a rocket. The portal now in sight once more and oxygen returned to his lungs.

"Oh, God! Oh, geez!" Marco yelled in between deep gasps as he splashed his way forward towards the portal, clenching his scissors in his right hand. There was no time to think, this was all too dangerous, and he had to reach that portal before the water had risen to it. Otherwise, this would all spill out into the castle.

Marco heaved in a panic as the water was now up to his neck and moving was very slow, he had no way of knowing where the creature was now, or if it was the only creature down here.

"Almost there... Almost there!" Marco yelled in determination. He reached the bottom of the portal, and through it, he could see the book of fairytales had landed just beneath his bed. He reached his two hands out of the water and placed them on the dry carpet of his floor. Without any time to lose, he started to pull himself out of the water with all the strength his tired body could muster.

He could hear splashing behind himself, and he struggled with all his might to pull his whole body through.

**SPLASH!!!!!**

"AHHHH!!!" Marco screamed as he felt a vicious bite clamp down around his entire leg. It sunk its vicious teeth into him and it hurt in ways that Marco couldn't have fathomed. He moved his head to look back and saw the creature latched onto him. He started to slip back out of the portal as the monster attempted to drag him back into the water with it forcefully.

"Ahhhh! No!" Marco screeched as he was dragged almost entirely back out of the portal and into a horrible watery grave.

Marco knew he was going to die, and in a way that would be terrible. He turned the rest of himself around quickly, letting the beast drag him further out of the portal, and in what few seconds he knew he had, he began using the dimensional scissors like a knife, repeatedly stabbing it in his attempt to save his own life.

The creature refused to let go at first, but when Marco stabbed it again, it loosened his jaw and let out a loud screech. Marco could see it was getting ready to attack again viciously, and if it caught him in the chest or head, it would be all over. Marco bravely thrust forward and jammed the scissors into the creature's underbelly while it poised itself to bite.

The creature flew backward in a rage, but in doing so, it yanked the scissors from Marco's grasp. Marco yelled and went tumbling backward into the portal he was hanging halfway out of.

"N-no!" He cried out in disbelief as he hit his head on the wooden frame of the bed. The monster's angered cries and screeches grew silent the moment the portal closed, sensing its creator had fully passed through.

"Ahhh...." Marco cried out quietly in pain while grabbing onto his leg with his soaked arms. It hurt so bad, but he kept his eyes off of the injury for fear of what he might discover. He knew that it might be really severe, but given what he saw the thing do already, he felt mild relief, he even still had his leg.

Marco sat quietly, dazed and confused, and trying to cope with everything that had just happened. His eyes were glancing around everywhere because his body was filled with adrenalin. He could see the old book lying just to the left of him under the bed while the quiet flickering of his dresser candle illuminated the tiny space.

He kept both of his hands on his wounded leg while he sat in a state of shock. He was feeling more foolish and dejected than anything else now that the realization was setting in that he had traded his scissors for his life.

"Why am I doing this...?" He said solemnly as he began to feel tears starting to fall out of his eyes and down his cheeks.

"What have I done...? I need those..." Marco said while crying in disbelief.

Marco took his hands off his leg hesitantly and listened as the fierce rain crashed against the glass of his window. The thunder roared, and the lightning flashed like it had so many times tonight.

His hands were shaking as he brought them up close to his chest so that he could see them clearly in the dim orange flickering. He turned them around to look at the palms, and aside from the dirt and grime of the water, they had a distinct red liquid dousing them.

"R... I..." He couldn't find the words as he frightenedly wiped the blood on his soaked jeans. "I n-need to do something about this... I..." He struggled to get up on his own weight but found the pain in his leg unbearable.

"Rrrr..." He grimaced and grunted through clenched teeth. He grabbed hold of the railing that supported the top part of the bed and used it to limp his way towards the door.

**CRASH!!!!**

The roar of thunder came again, and Marco reached out to put his hand on the handle of the door.

"I know Pony Head.... Marco...."

Marco paused the second he heard Star's voice. It sounded like she was talking to somebody. He looked down at his dirty clothes and wounded leg, and knew for sure he couldn't let her see him like this. Whether she could help him or not, he felt it unwise to be around her.

"He never called... We were supposed to have dinner together... I..." Star's voice was growing louder, and Marco started to panic.

He quickly turned away from the door and blew the candle out.

"I am going to check and see if he fell asleep or something. He has been acting really weird..." Star's voice was now clear to him.

He dropped to the floor abruptly as the pain started shooting through his leg and up the side of his body. He placed his hands over his mouth and held his breath to keep from screaming. He pushed the book of fairy tales deep under the bed and slid under it as quick as humanly possible.

**SLAM!!**

Marco's door crashed open, he grabbed onto his injured leg and pulled it underneath with the rest of his body, sending more pain shooting through him. His breath was becoming elevated, and he was trying not to make any noises.

"Hey, Marco? You home?" Star asked loudly.

Marco could briefly see parts of her boots and her silhouette every time thunder would flash through the windows.

"Man... I don't see him anywhere Pony Head. Do you think he's ok?"

Through the dead silence of the room, Marco could make out what Pony Head was saying on the other end of her phone.

"Look, that turd is always runnin' round. I think if anything he's prolly just spendin the night at home." She responded in her usual way.

"I know but...." Star tried to respond.

"Look, gurl..." Pony Head interrupted. "If you that worried bout him jus call him, alright?"

Star nodded. "Alright Pony Head. I will. Thanks for hanging out with me today."

"No prob, les hang out again soon. Let me know how it works out for you... right? Later."

With that, Pony Head hung up before Star even had a chance to respond.

Star stood there in the dark for a second, then the sounds of dialing could be heard. Marco's heart started to race when he realized that his phone would give away his position.

"......"

"Hey, you've reached Marco.... Please leave your name and number..." Marco could hear pieces of his own message recording, yet he knew he hadn't turned his phone off.

"Marco...." Star's voice sounded solemn, and Marco tensed up hoping she hadn't noticed him under the bed.

"Where are you?" She finished and snapped her phone shut with a clap.

The rumbling of thunder came, and Star just stood in his room as if lost without him. She turned, and he could not see her without the aid of lightning.

"Why don't you love me?" He could hear Star's boots start to stomp as if she were angered.

Marco moved forward slightly in his attempt to get a read on her position, but still, all he could see were shadows. The only reason he knew she was still in the room was the light crying that called out through the darkness.

"He is supposed to love me... I need him to love me..." She snarled through sobs. Star was now coming across less like somebody in deep love, and more like somebody lost in a dangerous obsession.

Star just stood in place, her crying lamentations a mix of rage and sadness. She moved slightly and picked something up off of his dresser, and after a moment of silence, she angrily threw it to the floor with a thud. It bounced and landed inches from Marco's face.

"Love me..." Star hissed.

"He 'will' love me." Her voice became vindictive and low.

"You have to return sometime..." She whispered menacingly to herself and turned to face the thrown object. A flash of lightning came, and Marco got a glimpse of the menacing expression on her face. It was as if she were entirely lost in a delusion separate from reality.

"Just you wait, Marco Diaz... I'll make sure you never leave my side again..." She whispered and then turned to leave the room. She slammed the door behind herself as she went, and her stomping could be heard traveling down the hall until the sound of her bedroom door made an echoing slam.

Marco let out a breath of relief and stayed lying there under the bed in sheer terror. He moved his hand outward and touched the object that Star had thrown.

It was the pink boot...

Marco lay there in silent pain, realizing that all of this was more than just a coincidence. His scissors, the archive collapse, the monster, Star... He felt as if his intuition was onto something, and perhaps forces beyond his understanding were pulling the strings of his misfortune.

He quietly hid there, wounded, exhausted, and refusing to succumb to amnesia again. He knew he needed to make his move, and he felt tonight was the last chance he had to do so.


	7. Desperate Plea.

Well over an hour had passed and Marco continued to lay beneath the bed, listening silently to the rain raddle against the window. There had not been any more noise coming from the hallway, so Marco figured it was now time to leave his hiding place.

Using his hands, he pulled himself out from beneath the bed, moaning silently as he dragged his injured leg along the floor. Once his whole body was free from beneath the bed, he used his left hand to grab hold of the book of fairytales and pulled it out to the center of the floor.

What time was it? He wasn't exactly sure, but he felt exhausted and was at a loss for what to do next. He was at least cognizant enough to know that going to Star was entirely out of the question, so he just settled on getting his bearings.

He pulled himself up to his feet with the aid of the wooden banister that held the top up on the bed and paused there as he tried to get used to the pain from standing.

"Ahh... Geez..." Marco lowered his free hand to grab hold of his leg. It really stung, and the throbbing was shooting up past his hip.

His eyes glanced about the dark room, and the low sound of thunder rumbled ominously. He limped his way over to the door, and as quietly as he could, latched it shut so that nobody could barge in on him.

Once that was done, he walked over to his dresser and ran his hands along the wooden top until he located the metal tinderbox that usually sat atop it. With a few strikes, sparks began to fly in the darkness until a small burning flame took hold of the char cloth. Once that had happened, Marco used the wooden splint that accompanied it to light the snuffed candle that sat before him.

The room immediately started to glow a dim orange, and Marco wasted no time in retrieving the book. He found bending over a challenge but decided that working through the pain was his only option if he couldn't go for help.

Once he had it in his grasp, he brought it over and placed it on the top of the dresser, thinking that there had to be some kind of answer for him somewhere in these pages.

He opened up the index and read further down until he reached the page beyond what he'd already read.

" _The Witch's Fall... Page 42._

_Legendary Hero... Page 48._

..."

"Legendary hero?" Marco whispered to himself.

The images of the knight from the previous passages entered his mind, and he wondered if perhaps the three sections of this part of the book were interconnected, and the one he had just read was merely the middle.

Marco quickly turned to the page that was listed in the index, and immediately he saw another illustration of the same knight. He was depicted as leaning before what looked to be a Queen. Alongside the picture was the same short accompanying text like the previous pages.

_"And so, the great hero who had vanquished the fell monstrosity from the beautiful lands of Mewni returned the wand of monarchs to her Majesty. The Queen was so overjoyed by his bravery that she offered him untold riches and rewards, that of which few could ever dream of."_

Marco could now confirm that this was about the hero after the fall of the witch, and he turned the page to look at the next illustration. It showed the knight raising his hand to various depictions of rewards. A woman that seemed to be of high standing, valuable jewels, and piles of gold coin, and it looked as if the knight were rebuking the many gifts that were being offered to him with his gesture.

" _The selfless knight was offered the youngest princesses' hand in marriage, rare jewels that were prized by the monarchy, and wealth almost equal to that of a king. He turned it all away without a second thought. His pureness of soul and virtuous disposition had no need for excess. Mewni's salvation was all that mattered to him."_

Marco couldn't believe what a fantastic person the knight sounded like and turned to the next page while dreaming that such a figure would come to save him now. Once on the next page, he looked at the illustration, and it was one of the knight blocking people from entering the decaying forest with his arms outstretched.

" _The hero, continuing his duty, tried to bar the people of Mewni from the withering forest because he sensed its dangers, but few cared to heed his warning. His efforts to protect the townsfolk were in vain, and the forest became ever more twisted and decayed as time passed. Seeing that this was a sign of grim things to come, the knight chose to abandon his beloved home."_

Marco was shocked that nobody would listen to their savior, and it made him wonder why such a great person was left largely forgotten by Mewni as a whole. It wasn't like there was a statue of him in the center of town, not even a portrait on the wall of the castle.

He quietly turned the page and was greeted with a final image of the knight walking alone with his back turned. There was nothing around him but foggy mist, and he looked almost sad as he marched off into the unknown.

" _The hero took his leave of Mewni castle, and though he was begged to stay by the Queen, he refused. Some say that the brave warrior wandered into and met an untimely end in the very forest he tried to save others from. Mewmans believe, his soul, devoid of all happiness at its end, was dragged to the underworld. To a place of depressed, wandering spirits known as the Land of Sorrows."_

Marco felt a bit sad reading the end of the tale, as it seemed any hope he had was snuffed out by the conclusion. It didn't really give him any direct answers, but it did fill his head with possibilities from fiction he was reading.

He shut the book and thought for a moment. If the legendary hero had indeed existed, then perhaps there was some way to speak directly to his spirit. The Land of Sorrows... It sounded ominous, but then again, the underworld was known for such things.

"I need to try..." He quietly said to himself. Knowing that it was his only lead.

Marco reached into his pocket but stopped when he recalled that he had lost his scissors in the flooded room of the castle. "No... If only I had them, I could easily go to the underworld and have a look..."

Marco grit his teeth; he had hit a snag, and it was a big one at that. Without the ability to hop effortlessly through dimensions, he lacked a way to access many of the areas around Mewni, including the flooded chamber that had his scissors in the first place.

Marco felt depressed and knew he was on a timer, he was positive that if he were to succumb to sleep, all of this would be nothing more than a blur in the morning. He had to fight it, he simply had to.

"What am I going to do? I can't even walk well..." Marco whispered to himself.

After some time of leaning his weight against the dresser, an idea came to him, though it immediately seemed like a bad one; but he felt like he had no other options available. Marco reached into his left pocket and pulled out his soaked cell phone.

He could see that it had turned off and he attempted to turn it back on by the use of the button, but no matter what he tried the phone refused to boot.

"Come on... You hunk of junk." Marco's voice became elevated, but not so loud that it would attract attention. He was really frustrated and could tell that his phone stopped working because of the water.

He placed the phone on the dresser and let out a sigh. The room remained silent for several minutes, save for the sound of the rain pounding against his window.

Eventually, Marco put his hand against the wall and started limping himself towards the door. He had a new idea, but he was full of fear that he had it; still, he felt helpless enough to try.

Marco couldn't believe he was going to do this, but his desperation was forcing him into scenarios that he never wanted to be a part of the first place. He moved his hand upward and quietly unlatched the door, he then proceeded to open it as slowly as possible.

The door creaked a little bit as it opened, and every time it did, Marco stopped, that is, until there was just enough room for him to squeeze out. He limped forward into the darkened hall, and the only light that was available to him was the dim glow emitting from the open crack of his door.

Marco moved to the center of the hallway and took a deep breath in, as each step made caused him unbelievable pain. He balled his hands into fists in an attempt to find some way to control the agony, but it proved a significant challenge.

After a few minutes of slow, agonizing walking, Marco got into a rhythm that allowed him to push through the pain and move with a bit more speed. He limped onward, barely making a peep despite his injury.

He continued to make his way at a steady pace down the long hallway. Marco could not see in front of him very well, but he used his hands to help feel things out when he reached the very end. He could tell that he had arrived and that this was the place he had set out to reach.

Marco silently searched with his hands placed flat against Star's door. His heart was pounding so rapidly that it was causing the throbbing in his leg to escalate. He bit his tongue, and once he located the handle of the door, he prayed that it was unlocked.

...

Click...

Marco breathed a quiet sigh of relief and pushed onto the unlatched door. It made a slight creaking noise, so Marco immediately stopped pushing and listened for movement. He knew in his condition he could never escape Star, so he had to play this slow and diligently with as little noise as possible.

Once the door was open wide enough for Marco to stick his arm in, he did so. He pushed the door open more, and he eventually slipped his entire body inside. Star's room was just as dark as the hallway, and her windows were making the same rattling sound that his were from the wind and rain.

More thunder rumbled off in the distance, and it was clear to Marco that the storm had gotten less severe. He limped a bit forward and allowed his now better-adjusted eyes to scan the area. He could make out a lump in the bed and could hear light peaceful breathing, which told him that Star was fast asleep.

Marco moved forward, somewhat dragging his foot to keep his weight off the injury. He stopped when he reached the nightstand beside Star and took one quiet look at her. He didn't know what had gotten into her, but he still cared about her and wanted things to return to a state of normalcy.

He felt guilty for what he was doing at the moment, but he was positive that he had no other options. If he should fail, then what was lost would never be found, and he would go about his existence none the wiser. For now, however, he had some control, so he refused to let anything hold him back.

He reached his hand out and ran it quietly along Star's nightstand. He could feel various things of non-import, and there was only one thing he was looking for. Marco's fingers moved along until his hand glided over Star's cell phone. He smiled happily and quickly snatched it up into his hand so that he could retreat as quickly as he was able.

Star rustled slightly in her sleep and Marco, holding her phone, started to limp his way towards her door. Even though he could hear her moving, he dared not look back or slow the pace he was moving at.

Every weighted step Marco took on his injured leg made him want to scream, but he refused to make a sound and give himself away. He reached out his hand looking for the door in front of him, and once he felt it, he started to slide himself out through the open gap he had left.

Now that he was on the other side of the door with her phone, he started to hurriedly limp down the hall without even bothering to close her door and risk waking her. He moved as quickly as his injury would allow and passed his room, leaving both the candle and the book of fairytales behind.

He knew he was now heading towards the steps that would lead down to the more lit areas of the castle. Once he reached the steps and was descending, he opened up Star's phone and began to search through her contacts.

"Ah!" Marco cried in pain for the first time in a while from pushing himself to move too quickly. "Where is it... Please tell me you still have it..." Marco paused and plopped himself on the steps so that he could rest his leg.

He felt much safer on the steps because he was far enough away from Star that he knew he wouldn't wake her, and the steps were situated in just such a way that if somebody entered them, he would know which direction they were walking from.

He poured through Star's phone and nearly yelled when he found what he was looking for.

Marco quickly pressed the contact that was listed as "Tom" and started to type a text to him. It didn't matter what time it was, he knew that if Tom recognized the number as Star's, he would definitely respond to him.

_"Tom... We need to talk... I've been thinking about things and would like to come to see you right now. I know you are upset with me, but I think we can work things out. If you were willing to send a carriage to the front of the castle, I would like to come down and speak with you personally. Please don't come yourself... I would like to talk to you about this in the underworld, for privacy reasons. - Star."_

Marco used his hand to help push himself up to his tired feet, and he let out a yell of agony as he swayed, nearly toppling down the stairs. He quickly covered up his mouth with his free hand and started to look around just in case somebody might've heard him. When nobody responded, he began to descend the stairs to reach the main hall that would lead outside of the castle.

Marco could feel the phone vibrate in his hand, and he looked at the response he had received while he limped along.

" _Star... You don't know what it means for me to hear you say that. I have already sent for you to be picked up. I will be waiting for you in my room, as that is the most private place I can offer you. - Tom."_

If Marco hadn't been injured, he would likely jump for joy. He knew that Tom was going to be enraged to see him, but what choice did he have? Tom was his only link to the underworld, and if the Land of Sorrows existed, then he for sure would know about it.

Once Marco reached the main hall, he peered down the well-lit corridor to make sure that nobody was around. He limped aggressively forward, forcing himself to move more quickly than he should have, causing him pain that defied words.

Down the hall, he went limping while using the wall as a means to keep himself from falling. When he looked down at his pants, he could see how shredded and dirty they were from his dealings with the creature. He looked way worse than he ever imagined and he just tried to push it out of his mind so that he could focus on getting to Tom.

Marco was nervous about being seen while he traveled through the lit areas of the castle, but thankfully it was late, and most of the guards that were on night watch were posted at the front gates and castle walls. He freely made his way out of the castle, and he could see the dark magical chariot that awaited him in the pouring rain.

The demonic driver gave Marco an odd look, but Marco simply opened the back of the ride so that he could get in. However, before he could finish entering, the voice of the driver came loudly over the rain. "I do believe this ride is for Ms. Butterfly. I will have to kindly ask you to remove yourself from the chariot."

Marco stared at him with his good leg set on the bar, hoisting himself up, and his injured leg dangling in the air so that he could feel relief from the weight of his body. He really just wanted to get in so that he could sit down and rest, but it was evident this was going to be yet another obstacle.

"N-No... I believe you are mistaken; you see, Star is sending me to talk to Tom as her messenger. She is trying to work out private affairs with him and wanted a mediator, so she sent me with her phone as proof of this." Marco reached out to the driver and displayed the text message bearing both what Tom said and his number.

The driver blinked, and then looked Marco up and down. After a few moments, he just nodded. "All right then, please be seated, and we will arrive in the underworld shortly."

Marco breathed a sigh of relief and plopped onto the cushy red seat. The driver looked back and commented. "You know, if you're going to mediate with Lord Lucitor on Star's behalf you probably should've cleaned yourself up some..."

Marco frowned and just slammed the door of the chariot shut. "Yeah, I know, but it was such short notice..."

The driver shrugged. It didn't matter to him; he just didn't want to have to deal with Tom's wrath if things went south. For the most part, though, he was sure the boy would be destroyed and not him if it came down to it.

With the chitchat over the chariot started descending to the underworld. Marco leaned back and stared upward towards the roof. He still felt horrible about taking Star's phone, and he knew he might have to answer for that, but this was his only chance to try and do something.

Marco fought against his closing eyes, refusing to give in to sleep or guilt. He would push through the pain, push through the exhaustion, and push through Tom if he needed to. He was determined to find what he had lost and to put an end to his fugue-like states.

He looked to his side out of the small window as the chariot descended quickly. He knew that it wouldn't be long until he reached where Tom resided, and the nearer he drew, the more apprehension built up within him. He was aware that Tom was not very happy with him, and he also figured that Tom's temper would probably reach new heights.

The driver just ignored Marco and hummed a tune to himself, seemingly unconcerned with Marco's wellbeing, or really anything at all for that matter. "Just a few more minutes Sir, and we will arrive. You should be able to find master Tom in his room." The driver said jovially.

"Thanks..." Marco said in a low, exhausted voice.

After a few more moments the chariot began to rumble and Marco held onto his seat. Once everything had settled, Marco grabbed hold of the door and opened it. He slowly exited using his uninjured leg first to take most of the weight when landing the short drop.

The area in front of the underworld palace was thick with heat and Marco still hadn't gotten used to it. Even when he would visit Tom to hang out, he found it uncomfortable, but his altered state of being as well as his injured body only amplified the effects.

Within an instant, the driver and the chariot proofed into a dark cloud of smoke. Without so much as a goodbye, he was gone, leaving Marco on his own to deal with whatever came.

Marco clenched Star's phone in his right hand and began to limp his way into the front of the palace. His body felt heavy, and he was starting to become accustomed to the agony he was in. Only on sudden jolts where excess weight was applied did he feel the need to yell out, but even then, he maintained enough control to keep his voice low.

Once he entered through the front palace doors, he could see demons, and various monsters of the underworld gathered together. It seems as if this place always had some sort of social event going on. The demons stopped talking the minute Marco appeared and they started gawking at him because of his disheveled clothes and dirty looks.

Nobody cared enough to ask him if he was all right or attempt to figure out who he was. It was just an interesting sight to behold at a formal palace event. Marco indeed felt humiliated, but he limped on, and just as quickly as he became the center of attention for that brief moment; he was forgotten in favor of pleasantries, dancing, and conversation.

He limped along the castle, knowing exactly where Tom's room was located. His heart was racing, but for different reasons now. He had to face his friend, whom he felt that he had betrayed. Even were it not his fault, he still felt responsible for all the misery that had been caused.

One...

Two...

Three...

Four...

His steps echoed against the decorative porcelain floor, and he could see Tom's door just before him. Marco walked up to it and grabbed hold of the ornate handle that would open the door. He stood there, conflicted with himself.

He wanted to turn around and limp away, perhaps this craziness needed to be stopped right here. He was not in his right mind, and he knew it, but he had gone this far with this delusion that he felt like he wanted to see it through.

...

Marco's hand started to slide off the handle. He couldn't do it... He knew that Tom would kill him, why he thought Tom would help him was beyond his understanding. He was just that desperate for somebody to help... anybody to help.

"Ah! Star! I hear you out there!" Marco could hear Tom's voice loudly from the other end of the door. "There's no need to be shy! Just come in!"

Marco turned, feeling the need to run, but his leg was so severely damaged that he staggered heavily when he tried. "Ahhh!" He cried out loudly as his leg gave way, and he collapsed to the hard floor.

"Wait... Who is that? That doesn't sound like Star." There was some quick stomping, and Marco frantically tried to find something to grab onto so that he could lift himself up to his feet.

There was nothing in his immediate grasp, and Marco knew it was already too late when he heard the door open behind him. Marco shut his eyes fearing the worst and just sat there on the floor, helpless to do anything.

...

...

"You..." Tom's voice became sinister and low.

Marco could then hear his steps tapping against the porcelain floor as he approached where he was sitting.

"Tom I..." Marco began meekly.

"How dare you!" Marco could feel Tom's hands as they grabbed hold of his dirty shirt, and he was lifted clear off the ground by his demonic strength. "So, you decided to make a fool of me!"

Marco opened one of his eyes and could see that Tom was in full rage mode, his body was close to bursting into flames, and his eyes were a deep red. Tom wasted no time in pulling Marco roughly along towards his room while dangling him above the floor.

Tom briefly looked down at the floor while he walked and could see a trail of red drops that stretched all the way along the white porcelain. His anger still stronger than his compassion pushed the detail aside, and he tossed Marco roughly through his opened bedroom door, slamming it behind himself.

"I'm going to completely obliterate you..." Tom scowled menacingly.

Marco screamed in pain the minute he landed on his leg, and he started to wail, grabbing hold of it while rolling on the floor.

His strange behavior caused Tom to back up hesitantly. He was still enraged, but Marco didn't look too good. The goodhearted side of him wanted to find out what was going on, but the demonic side, however, could care less about any of his pain.

"Enough of your whining Marco! You had this coming, and this time, I won't hold back!" Tom screamed as he pointed his finger towards Marco, and his hands began to self-immolate.

Marco held onto his leg and looked up at Tom with tears in his eyes, a mixture of physical pain and deep-seated misery. "Please... Tom... Please... I need your help... I don't care about Star... I don't care about anything but getting help from you... I-please..."

Tom blinked; he had never seen such pathetic whining from Marco. Even in his rage, he could see the truth in his pleas. "And just why should I, Marco!? I don't really care! The only thing I care about is Star being mine, and ridding myself of you!"

Marco balled his hands into fists and shouted loudly, reaching his limit. "I DON'T CARE ABOUT STAR! YOU CAN HAVE HER, JUST PLEASE HELP ME!"

There was a moment of silence, and Tom just stared at Marco, wondering if this was some kind of trick. He was still outraged, but he was reminded of the times that he had spent hanging out with Marco. There was some legitimate care there, even if part of him refused to accept such things.

Marco just sat breathing heavily on Tom's floor, and it was apparent that none of this was fake. Tom just continued to gawk at him, looking him over as if trying to piece together what exactly was going on.

"How can I help you?" Tom said begrudgingly, at least wanting to hear what Marco had to say.

Marco continued to hold his injured leg, and he spoke softly in response to Tom." I need to go to the Land of Sorrows... Please, there might be a spirit there I need to talk to..."

Tom blinked, what an odd request. How did Marco even know about the Land of Sorrows, and why did he need him to take him there? He had those stupid scissors. "I don't see why you need me for that..." Tom said, coldly.

"I can't... I was attacked by a monster and lost my scissors when it bit me. I can't explain everything... I just need you to get me there... Please... Please." Marco once again begged Tom.

Tom had now regressed from angry to slightly concerned, though he tried his best not to show it. He walked over and looked at Marco's leg, which was clearly the source of much of his distress. He could see Marco's pants were dirty, torn, and doused in dark liquid.

Upon seeing just how much he had been bleeding; Tom had dropped his façade entirely. "Holy... Marco, you really need to get that looked at I..." His voice was full of concern, but what he was about to say was immediately cut off by Marco.

"There isn't enough time! I don't care! I just need you to get me the Land of Sorrows!" He shouted. He didn't want to think about how severe his injury was, he just wanted to push through before he would forget the things he had learned.

Tom looked down and crossed his arms, he could see Star's stolen phone clenched in his right hand. Everything that was done was so out of character for Marco that even Tom didn't know what to do.

"What spirit could you possibly hope to find in the Land of Sorrows?" Tom started calmly. "That's a place where those who are unhappy and restless in life, go to be unhappy and restless in death."

"I... I don't know... I just think that there might be a spirit there that will help put everything back to normal." Marco tried his best to abbreviate his plight.

Tom didn't fully understand what Marco was blathering on about, but most of that sounded crazy. "So, like... You think that some dead spirit will help you do what exactly?" He asked full of skepticism.

"I... I'm just trying to find what I lost... I think it can help me do that, and also fix all this weirdness that is happening..." Marco responded, rubbing his arm.

This was quite a lot to take in for Tom. He really didn't care about what Marco had lost, but he did secretly care for his wellbeing. He kept his eyes fixated on Marco and waited to see if he had more to say.

"Tom... please take me. Look, if you take me and I don't find what I am looking for, I will allow you to take me back to Earth. Neither you or Star will hear from me again, and you will have her all to yourself." Marco gave his last plea.

Tom thought carefully and then answered. "So, if we go to the Land of Sorrows and this all turns out to be nonsense, then you will promise to stay entirely away from Star and return her to me?"

Marco looked down a bit but nodded his head. He didn't know if any of this was true, but he was willing to risk his friendship with Star over it.

Tom walked over to Marco and held out his hand as if to shake it to solidify their deal with one another. He was so in love with Star he would do anything to have her, and Marco was so desperate to go to the Land of Sorrows that their deal seemed even-handed.

Marco reached up and grabbed Tom's hand, and after the short shake, Tom pulled Marco to his feet and held him up.

"Ah!" Marco said in pain from the sudden jolt, but Tom's lifting him had made getting up far more comfortable than it would have otherwise.

Tom lifted his thumb and middle finger up, and with a quick swipe, snapped them loudly.

There was a moment of silence, but in the blink of an eye, the undead driver of the underworld chariot appeared. He looked rather elated to see his master did not appear to be as angry as anticipated. "I heard your call, where is it you desire to go Lord Lucitor." The driver asked with a smile.

Tom looked at the ghoulish driver and responded to him bluntly. "To the Land of Sorrows."

Marco smiled, knowing he was going to succeed in his desire to reach his destination, and without realizing it, he leaned further into Tom for support.

Tom felt embarrassed and blushed somewhat that Marco was supporting his weight onto him, and in front of his subordinate no less.

The driver lowered his eyes to the floor, not daring to comment on the scene, but his voice was full of nervousness as he responded to the demand. "The Land of Sorrows? Why do you want to go down there? Only fools ever go there..."

Tom didn't want to hear excuses and in an annoyed tone, responded. "It's none of your concern, just get us there!"

The driver quickly turned his head and capitulated to Tom's demand before he would get on his bad side. "R-right away my Lord... I should warn you though, that the carriage can only go so far, and that it can only drop you off there, not traverse the lands."

Marco tiredly held onto Tom and responded. "I don't care, just get us as far as you can."

Tom watched the driver's nervous expression as it disappeared into a puff of magical black smoke. He knew that the Land of Sorrows had a reputation for swallowing up travelers that would venture aimlessly in.

It was effortless to get lost for eternity in such a place, but Tom felt if it would lead to him getting Star back, it was worth at least a peek.

Tom let go of Marco and opened his bedroom door. "The chariot awaits..." He said calmly.

Marco smiled and limped passed him so that he could get started on his travel into the depths of the underworld.

Whatever he would find there hopefully would at least shed light onto the true nature of what was going on. If nothing were there, he would know his insanity, but if the spirit did indeed wonder those lands, he might finally find what it is he had lost.


End file.
